JKTF delegation meets Divisional authorities over census duty issues

• JKTF appeals for humanitarian approach in census deployment, says academic activities in rural schools are suffering badly

JAMMU: A delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF)  today called on Naresh Kumar (JKAS), Additional Commissioner in the office of the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, and raised several issues concerning the large-scale deputation of teaching staff for Census 2027 duties across Jammu Division.

The delegation was headed by JKTF Chief Patron Ganesh Khajuria and JKTF President Bharat Bhushan. Other members of the delegation included Ashwani Sharma, Surinder Kumar, Rashpal Dass and Bachan Lal. During the meeting, the delegation submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting the practical difficulties being faced by teachers due to repeated engagement in non-academic assignments and urged the administration to take corrective measures in the interest of both teachers and students.

The delegation particularly stressed upon the difficulties faced by female teaching staff in performing door-to-door census survey duties. The representatives informed the Additional Commissioner that women employees across Jammu Division are already balancing professional responsibilities with family obligations and are finding it extremely difficult to undertake extensive field work in far-flung and remote areas. They said that safety concerns, long-distance travel, lack of transport facilities and household responsibilities make such assignments highly stressful for female staff members.

The JKTF leaders pointed out that many women teachers are mothers of young children and are also responsible for elderly family members at home. In such circumstances, assigning them physically demanding survey duties during harsh weather conditions creates avoidable hardship. The delegation appealed to the administration to adopt a humanitarian and practical approach while framing deployment policies for female employees.

The delegation also expressed serious concern over the large-scale deputation of teachers from schools for Census 2027 work. They informed the authorities that in several cases five to six staff members are being deputed from a single institution, severely affecting the normal functioning of schools. Government schools, particularly those located in rural and remote areas, are already facing acute staff shortages, and the diversion of teaching staff towards administrative exercises is adversely impacting classroom teaching and student learning.

The forum members stated that a large number of teachers are already working as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and are handling election-related responsibilities in addition to their educational duties. Further deputation for census work, they said, would place unbearable pressure on the limited teaching workforce available in schools.

The delegation maintained that the studies of economically weaker and rural students suffer the most whenever teachers are repeatedly assigned non-teaching duties. They observed that government schools are striving to improve academic standards and enrolment, but constant diversion of staff for surveys and administrative tasks hampers educational progress and affects the quality of teaching-learning activities.

In its memorandum, the JKTF urged the administration to exempt female staff of the Education Department across Jammu Division from door-to-door Census Survey Duty and instead assign them indoor or table work related to census operations wherever feasible. The forum also requested the authorities to issue clear directions to all Deputy Commissioners, Chief Education Officers (CEOs) and Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) that not more than one staff member should be deputed from a single school for census work.

The delegation further suggested that existing BLOs may be considered for census-related assignments so that additional burden on schools can be minimised. It also urged the authorities to schedule the houselisting field work for Jammu Division during August-September 2026, as permitted under the Registrar General of India Circular No. 9/35/2025-CD(Cen) dated 24-12-2025.

The JKTF leaders explained that conducting field work during May and June would expose employees to extreme heat conditions as temperatures in several districts of Jammu Division often cross 45 degrees Celsius during peak summer. They said that outdoor survey work during such harsh climatic conditions would not only affect the health of employees but also disrupt the academic session which remains at its peak during those months.

Ganesh Khajuria said that teachers have always cooperated with the administration during national assignments, elections and surveys, but there is a need to strike a balance between administrative requirements and academic responsibilities. He urged the government to ensure that the education sector does not suffer because of excessive deployment of teaching staff in non-academic activities.

JKTF President Bharat Bhushan reiterated that the forum is not opposing census work but is seeking a rational and balanced deployment policy that protects the interests of students, teachers and schools. He appealed to the administration to take a sympathetic view of the issues raised by the delegation.Additional Commissioner Naresh Kumar gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured the members that the genuine concerns projected by JKTF would be taken up with the concerned authorities for appropriate consideration and necessary action.