JUDGMENT

Mrs. SUJATA V. MANOHAR, J.: —Delay condoned.

2. Leave granted in all these special leave petitions.

3. Applications for intervention are allowed as the applicants are in a position similar to that of the respondents in these appeals. Some of the applications for intervention were made after the hearing of these appeals was over and the judgment was reserved. Normally, we would not have allowed such applications. But in view of the fact that the applicants in these applications are also similarly situated and would, in any case, be governed by the ratio of the judgment, we have allowed these applications also as a special-case.

4. A Census is conducted in the country every 10 years under the Census Act of 1948, under the directions of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. For the purpose of conducting the census, Directorates of Census Operations have been established in each State and Union Territory of India. The Directorates of Census Operations work under the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.

5. For carrying on the normal functions of the Directorate of Census Operations in the State of U.P. certain permanent posts have been sanctioned. A