Centre expands Census enumerator pool to include private-school teachers

• The Centre amended the Census Rules, 1990, allowing states and Union Territories to appoint teachers of “aided or unaided private bodies” as enumerators during the Census.

• A gazette notification issued by Registrar General of India (RGI) Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan said “teachers, clerks, or any official or any person” can be appointed as census officers by state governments and Union territories as enumerators.

• It specifies that teachers of any educational institution of the government, local authority, aided or unaided private bodies, societies or trusts can be appointed as Census officers to perform duties as an enumerator.

• The changes come as various High Courts across the country have given relief to teachers of aided or unaided private bodies from being roped in for duties as enumerators during the ongoing Census.

• The 2027 Census, the eighth since Independence, is being conducted in two phases — house-listing and housing census; and population enumeration.

• The decennial exercise, scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak. 

• The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting the Census, which will be the biggest headcount exercise to date.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)