Professors Win Battle Against Census Clipboard: MP High Court Strikes Down 'Illegal' Duty Assignment

In a swift ruling on April 29, 2026, the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Indore , presided over by Hon'ble Shri Justice Jai Kumar Pillai , granted relief to 51 Class-I teaching faculty from Ujjain Engineering College. The court quashed their assignment to Census 2026-27 duties as Enumerators and Supervisors, calling it a "severe administrative anomaly" that violated statutory rules and threatened the college's academic schedule.

From Lecture Halls to Doorsteps: How the Dispute Unfolded

The petitioners— Dr. Smt. Savita Maru and others , all holding prestigious Class-I posts as Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors at the autonomous Ujjain Engineering College—found themselves roped into census operations via mobile text messages. These duties kicked off with training from April 24-26, 2026, amid house listing operations slated for April to September 2026, following gazette notifications from the Ministry of Home Affairs .

The college's Principal initially erred by including the faculty in a staff list sent on April 9, 2026, responding to a request from census authorities. A correction followed on April 10, and a formal withdrawal on April 13 explicitly sought to exempt the 51 Class-I officers, noting they were mistakenly included. Despite this, assignments persisted, forcing the professors to approach the court via Writ Petition No. 15363 of 2026 .

Key timeline: - April 7, 2026 : Census authorities request employee list. - April 9-10 : Initial and corrected lists sent. - April 13 : Principal's formal exemption request. - April 24 : Exams begin, clashing with training.

The stakes were high: end-semester BE/B.Tech exams started April 24, practicals loomed in May, and the college hosted NEET-2026 on May 3—deploying all faculty could shutter the institution.

Petitioners' Stand: 'Dignity Under Siege'

The professors argued their deployment breached Rule 3 of the Census Rules, 1990 , which delineates roles in a statutory table: - Enumerators : "Teachers, Clerks or any official or any person" (interpreted as Class-III). - Supervisors : "Officers generally of a rank higher than enumerators or any person."

Forcing Level-13A1/14 salary earners—classified under M.P. Technical Education Rules—under Class-II/III Charge Officers like Tehsildars inverted hierarchy, denting dignity. They cited the official Census 2027 FAQ , stating enumerators come from teachers, patwaris, health workers, and sub-staff—not senior academics.

Practical chaos ensued: census subordination to juniors, plus exam disruptions for thousands of students.

Respondents' Position: Silent in Judgment, Overruled by Rules

While respondents ( Directorate of Census Operations Madhya Pradesh and others) appeared via counsel, the judgment focuses on statutory non-compliance rather than their defenses. As noted in external reports, the court deemed the move "legally and administratively unsustainable," aligning with FAQs emphasizing rank-appropriate appointments.

Decoding the Rules: Hierarchy Trumps Manpower Needs

Justice Pillai meticulously parsed Rule 3's table , concluding "any person" for enumerators means Class-III equivalents. Assigning Class-I officers created "severe administrative anomaly," subordinating seniors to juniors against Census Commissioner guidelines.

No precedents were cited, but the ruling hinges on plain statutory reading and the Principal's withdrawal. External coverage echoes this, highlighting enumerators as Class-III drawn from lower cadres.

Key Observations Straight from the Bench

"A bare perusal of the aforementioned statutory table manifestly reveals that Enumerators are generally drawn from teachers, clerks or any person. Here any person would mean an employee of same class i.e. class III. Resultantly the petitioners here who are class I officers could not have been assigned the work either as enumerator or supervisor."

"Forcing Class-I officers to work under the supervision of Charge Officers—who belong to Class-II or Class-III executive cadres of the State Government—creates a severe administrative anomaly ."

"Relieving the entire cadre of 51 Class-I teaching faculties for census duties would effectively mandate the closure of the institution, adversely affecting thousands of students."

Victory with Caveats: Relief Granted, No Blanket Precedent

The writ stands allowed . Respondents must "immediately issue appropriate instructions to cancel the Census 2026-27 duty of the 51 Class-I officers... strictly as per the amended order dated 13/04/2026 " by the Principal.

Implications are targeted: safeguards academic continuity and service dignity for these faculty, but the court clarified it's "an exception... confined to its own peculiar facts and shall not apply as a precedent." Nationally, it spotlights census staffing precision amid 2027 operations, urging adherence to hierarchies—potentially sparing other seniors while leaning on Class-III for fieldwork.