On January 8, 2026, a poll on female diksa and siksa gurus (VDG) was conducted at the ICC/IBAC/Bureau conference in Vishakhapatnam following a presentation by H.H. Bhaktvinoda Maharaja and H.H. Bhanu Swami. The survey, consisting of 16 questions, was methodologically unsound. It was administered under inconsistent conditions, limited to select attendees, and relied heavily on binary Yes/No responses, and contained several leading questions. Nevertheless, the survey could serve as preliminary input for a more rigorous pilot study, which could then be used to create a scientifically sound and unbiased survey.
The full report can be accessed here: