Centre Amends Census Rules, Expands Eligibility For Appointment As Enumerators

New Delhi: The Central government on Friday amended the Census Rules, 1990, expanding the categories of people eligible to perform duties as enumerators to include teachers from government and private educational institutions, government officials and clerks, among others.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notifies the new Census (Amendment) Rules, 2026, under the powers conferred by Section 18(1) of the Census Act, 1948.

As per the notification, teachers from educational institutions run by the government, local authorities, aided or unaided private bodies, societies or trusts can perform duties as enumerators.

The amended rules also include clerks and other officials of the Central government, state governments, local authorities and establishments. These establishments include public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, banks, companies, institutions, societies and trusts.

Additionally, the rules allow state governments and Union Territory administrations to consider any other suitable person for appointment as an enumerator.

The amendment substitutes the existing entries against serial number 5 in the table under Rule 3 of the Census Rules, 1990, to specify the eligible categories.

The Census (Amendment) Rules, 2026, came into force soon after their publication in the official gazette.

The notification was issued by Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The principal Census Rules were originally published in the Gazette of India on December 31, 1990, and have subsequently been amended through notifications issued in 1994, 2009, 2018 and 2022.