Archive · 18 Aug 2026
High Court flags Centre-West Bengal rift over teachers' Census duty
In India, the government has a big job called the Census, where it counts every person in the country.
The central government, which runs the whole country, asked school teachers in West Bengal to help with this counting.
But the state government of West Bengal said teachers need to be in school teaching children.
The two governments could not agree, so the issue went to a special court called the Calcutta High Court.
Judge Krishna Rao said the two sides are not cooperating with each other.
The census officials want teachers to do the counting work from 9 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon, but schools are usually open from 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon.
The state said teachers could do the counting after school hours and on weekends.
The judge asked why teachers had to count people during school time and suggested that town, village and other school helpers could do the job instead.
He said the two sides need to find a balance so children still get their lessons and the census still gets done.
The court will meet again on Wednesday.
The Calcutta High Court flagged a lack of coordination between the West Bengal government and the Centre over the work schedule for teachers assigned census duty.
Justice Krishna Rao questioned why teachers were being deployed during school hours and asked whether the Centre had consulted the state government.
The Census authority has fixed 9 am to 4 pm for census work, while the state says teachers will carry out the tasks after school hours and weekends.
The state, citing the Right to Education Act, argued teachers cannot forgo classes; the court said a balance must be struck between enumeration work and school duties.
The court suggested using municipal, panchayat and non-teaching staff instead of teachers and adjourned the hearing to Wednesday.
- Who
- Justice Krishna Rao of the Calcutta High Court, the West Bengal government, the central Census authority represented by Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi, and school teachers in West Bengal.
- What
- The High Court flagged a lack of coordination between the Centre and West Bengal over the work schedule for teachers assigned census duty and questioned their deployment during school hours.
- When
- Tuesday; the next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
- Where
- Calcutta High Court.
- Why
- Because the Census authority's fixed timing of 9 am to 4 pm clashes with school hours (generally 10 am to 4 pm), and West Bengal says teachers cannot forgo classes under the Right to Education Act.
West Bengal government
Centre / Census authority
Census work schedule
West Bengal government
Teachers should carry out census duty after school hours and on weekends so classes are not disrupted.
Centre / Census authority
Census work must be done within the fixed 9 am to 4 pm timing set by the Census authority.
Teacher deployment
West Bengal government
Teachers have an obligation under the Right to Education Act and cannot forgo classes.
Centre / Census authority
Whether officials come from municipalities or schools is not the issue, but a particular plan must be carved out if teachers are deployed as census officers.
- Court
- Calcutta High Court
- Presiding Judge
- Justice Krishna Rao
- Census authority representative
- Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi
- Census work timing
- 9 am to 4 pm
- Typical school hours
- 10 am to 4 pm
- Census completion target
- One month, extendable if required
- Suggested alternative staff
- Municipal, panchayat and non-teaching education staff
- Next hearing
- Wednesday
