Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday criticised what it described as insufficient coordination between the Union government and the West Bengal administration over deployment of school teachers for Census duties, emphasising the need to reconcile enumeration schedules with classroom responsibilities under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
Bench seeks balance between enumeration work and school hours
Hearing petitions that challenged the assignment of Census responsibilities to teachers, Justice Krishna Rao noted a scheduling clash: the Census authority has proposed a 9 am to 4 pm window for enumeration, while the state government says teachers would perform census tasks after school hours and over weekends. The court pressed the state for precise figures on how many teachers and non‑teaching staff have been requisitioned for the exercise; the figures were not produced during Tuesday's hearing.
"There is no cooperation between the Centre and the state government,"
The remark, attributed to Justice Rao in hearing proceedings reported by PTI, conveyed the bench's frustration over the apparent lack of alignment on operational details. The judge underscored that a pragmatic balance must be achieved so that enumeration does not undermine the statutory obligation of teachers to conduct classes.
Centre seeks officials for one month; timing remains contentious
Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi, representing the Census authority, told the court that the Centre requires officials from the state for a period of one month for the census drive and that the nationality of officials — whether municipal staff or teachers — was not the core issue for the Census Office. He conceded that if teachers are to be deployed, a specific operational plan must be drawn up because school hours in many government schools typically run from 10 am to 4 pm, creating a direct overlap with the Census timing.
Trivedi also informed the bench that although the Census authority aims to finish enumeration within a month, the period could be extended if necessary, leaving some flexibility on timelines but not on the proposed daily hours of work.
State cites RTE obligations; court wants documentary clarity
The state government's counsel argued that under the RTE Act teachers cannot be expected to abandon regular classes. On a request from the state side for more time to obtain instructions from authorities, the court adjourned the matter till Wednesday. Meanwhile, the bench insisted the state furnish data on numbers of teaching and non‑teaching personnel already assigned to Census duty.
- Key timing conflict: Census authority proposes 9 am–4 pm; many state schools hold classes roughly 10 am–4 pm.
- Duration sought by Centre: officials for one month, with flexibility to extend.
- Outstanding demand: state to provide figures on staff deployed for the Census.
The dispute highlights the administrative and practical complexities of conducting a decennial enumeration in a state where government school timetables and statutory educational duties intersect with large-scale field operations.
Practical implications for schools, teachers and enumeration
If teachers are pressed into Census fieldwork during school hours without careful scheduling, there are likely to be immediate consequences for classroom delivery and compliance with RTE norms. Conversely, assigning municipal officials or other government employees to conduct the enumeration would require the Census authority to rework its staffing plans for the state.
| Issue | Position |
|---|---|
| Census daily timing | 9 am–4 pm (Census authority) |
| Typical school hours cited | About 10 am–4 pm (state government) |
| Requested deployment period | One month (with possible extension) |
| Data demanded by court | Numbers of teachers and non‑teachers assigned to Census duty |
The bench's insistence on figures signals a demand for transparent planning before any large‑scale redeployment of education personnel. For parents and school authorities in Kolkata, Howrah and beyond, the next hearing will be closely watched as it may determine whether schools must adjust academic schedules during the enumeration window.
With the matter adjourned until Wednesday to allow the state to obtain instructions, administrative clarity and a detailed operational plan remain pending. The court's intervention seeks to ensure that fulfilment of the national enumeration exercise does not come at the cost of statutory educational obligations or unplanned disruption to classroom teaching.
Reporting for PTI was the source for the details of Tuesday's hearing.
