The High Court of Madhya Pradesh has set aside the census duty assigned to 51 professors and faculty members of Ujjain Engineering College, observing that Class-I officers could not legally be deployed as enumerators or supervisors for Census 2026-27 work.
Justice Jai Kumar Pillai passed the order while allowing a writ petition filed by Dr. Smt. Savita Maru and other faculty members. The court noted that the assignment violated the framework of the Census Rules, 1990 and also threatened ongoing academic activities.
Background of the Case
The petitioners were serving as Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors at Ujjain Engineering College. According to the plea, they were holding Class-I gazetted posts and drawing salaries under higher pay levels prescribed for teaching cadre officers.
The dispute began after the faculty members received mobile text messages directing them to attend census training sessions and work as Enumerators and Supervisors for Census 2026-27 operations. The professors argued that such duties were generally assigned to lower-level government staff and that forcing senior academic officers to work under junior executive officials was arbitrary and humiliating.
The petitioners also pointed out that semester examinations, practical exams, and arrangements for NEET-2026 were already underway in the college. They claimed that deputing 51 faculty members for census work would severely disrupt the institution’s functioning.
The High Court examined Rule 3 of the Census Rules, 1990, which provides the categories of officials who may be appointed for census operations. The court noted that enumerators are generally selected from teachers, clerks, or similar staff categories.
Referring to the statutory scheme, the bench observed that Class-I officers like the petitioners were not intended to perform duties of enumerators or supervisors.
“The petitioners here who are class I officers could not have been assigned the work either as enumerator or supervisor,” the court observed.
The bench further noted that making senior faculty members work under Charge Officers belonging to lower cadres created an “administrative anomaly” and went against the spirit of the Census Rules.
The court also took note of communications sent by the college principal, who later clarified that the inclusion of 51 Class-I officers in the census list had happened by mistake. A revised list containing names of subordinate staff was subsequently forwarded to authorities.
Allowing the petition, the High Court directed the authorities to immediately cancel the Census 2026-27 duties assigned to the 51 Class-I officers of the engineering college.
At the same time, the court clarified that the order was being passed considering the special facts of the case, including the hierarchy under the Census Rules, ongoing academic responsibilities, and the withdrawal letter issued by the principal.
The bench specifically stated that the ruling should not be treated as a precedent for other cases.
Case Details
Case Title: Dr. Smt. Savita Maru and Others v. Directorate of Census Operations Madhya Pradesh and Others
Case Number: Writ Petition No. 15363 of 2026
Judge: Justice Jai Kumar Pillai
Decision Date: April 29, 2026
