Nationwide census from Feb 9

New Delhi, Dec 20: Population enumeration will be carried out throughout the country from February 9 to 28, Rajya Sabha was told today.Min...

New Delhi, Dec 20: Population enumeration will be carried out throughout the country from February 9 to 28, Rajya Sabha was told today.

Minister of State for Home I D Swami said in a written reply that about 20 lakh enumerators and supervisors are being engaged for completing the population enumeration of the census of India, 2001.

The revisional round will be held between March 1-5, he said.

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The population enumeration work in Jammu and Kashmir and snow-bound areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh has been advanced, the Minister said.

Swami, in reply to a query, said certain militant outfits have issued death threats to officials entrusted with census duties in Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Centre and the Government on deputing teachers for census duty in the capital in February and March next year when studies in schools before the final examination are at peak.

A division bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice O P Dwivedi asked the Centre and the Delhi Government to file their replies by January four.

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The notices were issued following a public interest writ, which said studies of students would be adversely affected in about 19 lakh government schools at a crucial time as 40,000 teachers were being deployed for census duty between February nine and March eight.

The deployment of teachers as enumerators and supervisors for the census, was violative of students’ fundamental right and was contratry to the Supreme Court guidelines in J P Unikrishnan case, decided in 1992.