Teachers Cannot Refuse Census Duty.

Rule Will Treat Them as 'On School Duty- High Court

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HT Correspondent 

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NEW DELHI — The High Court has declared that government school teachers cannot refuse assigned census work, clarifying that periods spent on census operations will be officially treated as "on school duty."

The court dismissed petitions challenging the deployment of educators for non-teaching administrative tasks, emphasizing that national census collection is a statutory obligation of paramount public importance. Teachers assigned to census work are legally bound to fulfill the duty; non-compliance can attract disciplinary action.

Days spent conducting census surveys will not be marked as absence or leave; they will count toward active school duty and service benefits. Local authorities have been directed to structure enumeration schedules to minimize disruption to normal academic calendars and classroom teaching.

The judgment balances educational priorities with civil administration, ensuring national demographic tracking proceeds smoothly without penalizing teaching staff.