Census duty: Madras HC seeks State response as PG teachers seek exemption

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the State and suo motu impleaded the Chief Educational Officers of southern and central districts in a PIL seeking exemption of postgraduate teachers from census duties for two months. The petitioner contended that their deployment for census work would affect the teaching of students appearing for public examinations.

The Division Bench comprising Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel issued the direction when the Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary Post Graduate Teachers Association, Chennai, sought an interim order restraining the authorities from allotting census duties to PG teachers in August 2026 and February 2027, particularly those handling Classes X and XII in government and government-aided schools in southern and central districts.

Though the association acknowledged that census duty was of vital national importance, it contended that deploying PG teachers for such duties during the ongoing academic session would seriously affect classroom teaching, completion of the prescribed syllabus and revision sessions aimed at preparing students for public examinations.

The association also contended that PG teachers teaching students from poorer sections in government and government-aided schools were being assigned census duties. In contrast, teachers in private schools continued to teach full-time. Students in private schools were comparatively from affluent economic backgrounds, it said.

The association pointed out that there were about 59 government departments in the State with numerous employees whose assistance could be sought for census work. It also said the government could consider involving NGO members in the exercise.

The petition further stated that some PG teachers in the association were aged over 55 and suffering from various health ailments. It sought their exemption from census duties on health grounds.

After hearing the submissions, the court directed the Director of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu, the Principal Secretary to the Government, School Education Department, and others to file their responses and posted the matter for further hearing on August 20, 2026.