SC refuses to entertain PIL questioning procedures to record caste of citizens in 2027 census

Supreme Court declines PIL challenging 2027 census caste recording procedures, urges consideration of petitioner's suggestions for transparency.

The Supreme Court on Monday (February 2, 2026) refused to entertain a PIL questioning the procedure to be adopted to record, classify and verify the caste data of citizens in the 2027 general census.

The top court, however, asked the Centre and the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India to consider the suggestions made by PIL petitioner Aakash Goel, an academician, on the issue.

Mr. Goel, represented by senior advocate Mukta Gupta, said a transparent questionnaire, to be used for recording, classifying and verifying the caste details of the citizens, has to be placed in public domain.

The senior advocate alleged that the Directorate of Census Operations has not disclosed the criteria for recording the caste identity of citizens "notwithstanding the acknowledgement that caste enumeration has extended beyond the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes this time”.

The Bench told the PIL petitioner there is “no pre-determined data” to identify the caste data.

“The census exercise is regulated under the Census Act, 1958 and the 1990 Rules framed thereunder which empowers the respondent authorities to determine the particular and manners of census operations,” the Bench noted.