Court Rules Against Assigning Higher-ranking Officers as Enumerators, Citing Administrative Anomalies
In a landmark judgment, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered the cancellation of census duties assigned to 51 Class-I officers at Ujjain Engineering College, citing violations of the Census Rules, 1990. The petition, filed by Dr. Savita Maru and other Class-I officers, challenged their deployment as Enumerators and Supervisors for the Census 2026-27 operations. The court found the assignment contrary to the official hierarchy established under the Census Rules, causing administrative anomalies and disrupting academic activities.
The petitioners, who hold positions such as Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor, argued that their deployment under junior-ranking officers undermines the official classification and hierarchy. Under the Census Rules, Enumerators are typically drawn from Class-III employees, such as teachers and clerks, while Supervisors are from higher ranks but not higher than Class-I officers.
Justice Jai Kumar Pillai highlighted that assigning Class-I officers as Enumerators and Supervisors breaches principles of official hierarchy and violates service rules. The judgment emphasized the operational needs of educational institutions, pointing out how relieving Class-I officers for census duties would adversely affect academic schedules and examination timelines.
The court noted a series of communications between the Principal of Ujjain Engineering College and the census authorities, wherein an erroneous list including Class-I officers was initially forwarded. Following the realization of this mistake, the Principal amended the submission to exclude these officers. The court took into account the amended order dated 13.04.2026 and issued directions to cancel the census duties of the Class-I officers.
Justice Pillai allowed the writ petition, clarifying that the order is an exception based on specific circumstances and should not be treated as a precedent. The judgment underscores the importance of adhering to established rules and hierarchy within administrative operations, ensuring that academic activities remain uninterrupted.
Bottom line:-
Class-I officers cannot be assigned duties as Enumerators or Supervisors under the Census Rules, 1990, as it violates the hierarchy and classification laid out in the rules and causes administrative anomalies.
Statutory provision(s): Census Rules, 1990
