Now Reading: Calcutta HC questions teacher deployment for Census 2027
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Calcutta HC questions teacher deployment for Census 2027
The Calcutta High Court on Friday questioned the West Bengal government's plan to deploy school teachers for Census 2027 duties while expecting them to continue teaching. Justice Krishna Rao asked how teachers…
The Story in Brief
The Calcutta High Court on Friday questioned the West Bengal government's plan to deploy school teachers for Census 2027 duties while expecting them to continue teaching. Justice Krishna Rao asked how teachers could conduct classes and then travel for door-to-door Census work, and suggested using rotation instead of mass deployment. The court also noted that teachers' bio-data and commuting distances were not checked before assignment.
Teachers have petitioned, demanding that Census work be treated as 'on duty', citing the impracticality of after-school work, especially for those commuting up to 40 km daily. Some reported inconsistencies: municipalities like Siliguri have granted on-duty status while Kolkata has not. The matter will be heard again on August 18.
The Indian Opinion
One narrative accuses teachers of avoiding Census work; another paints the government as indifferent to their burden. Neither captures the core issue: poor planning. Teachers are willing but need reasonable schedules. The state must address commuting distances and grant official on-duty status. The August 18 hearing should produce a clear plan, or the deadlock will harm both education and the Census exercise.
Sources (2): nationalheraldindia.com, timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
