India amends Census Rules to expand eligibility for enumerators

The Indian government has amended the Census Rules, 1990, to expand the pool of individuals eligible to serve as enumerators for the 2027 Census. Under the new Census (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs, state governments and Union Territory administrations may now appoint teachers from both aided and unaided private educational institutions, as well as clerks and officials from various government and private sectors, including public sector undertakings, banks, and companies.

The amendment also provides authorities the discretion to appoint “any other person” deemed suitable for the role. This move follows legal challenges in various High Courts where orders had previously granted relief to private school teachers regarding census-related deployment.

The Congress party has criticized the changes, with General Secretary Jairam Ramesh alleging “mischief” behind the expansion. The opposition claimed the amendments could turn the census into a “Rozgar Guarantee Yojana” for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP workers. Ramesh further questioned the neutrality of the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes, citing affiliations between its members and the RSS ecosystem.