Supreme Court Declines to Hear PIL on Caste Data Collection in 2027 Census

The Supreme Court of India on Monday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the process of recording caste-related data in the 2027 national census. However, the Court asked the Central government and the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to consider the suggestions submitted by the petitioner.

The PIL was filed by scholar Akash Goyal, represented by senior advocate Mukta Gupta, raising concerns about the transparency and methodology used to record, classify, and verify citizens’ caste information. Gupta argued that the questionnaire used for collecting caste data should be made publicly available to ensure transparency.

The Bench noted that the census process is governed by the Census Act, 1958, and the rules framed in 1990, which empower authorities to determine the procedures for conducting the census. Chief Justice Suryakant observed that there is no reason to doubt the authorities’ preparedness, noting that they have likely developed a robust system with assistance from local experts to avoid errors.

While the Court refused to hear the PIL, it emphasized that the authorities could consider the recommendations and suggestions raised by the petitioner.

The 2027 census, officially the 16th National Census, will be the first to include a comprehensive caste enumeration since 1931 and is expected to be the first fully digital census in India.