Congress alleges Census 2027 staffing expansion serves RSS-BJP agenda

The Centre amended the Census Rules, 1990, expanding the categories of people states and Union territories can appoint as enumerators for Census 2027.

The change allows appointments of teachers from aided and unaided private institutions; the New Indian Express also reports that states and Union territories may appoint “any other person.” The Times of India describes the eligible appointees as census officers, while the New Indian Express calls them enumerators.

Congress accused the BJP-led Centre of using the expanded pool to advance a political agenda. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the change could make the census less credible and allow RSS-BJP workers to take enumerator roles.

The New Indian Express reports the Congress characterized the exercise as a “Rozgar Guarantee Yojana” for thousands of RSS-BJP workers. These are allegations by Congress, not established findings about who will be appointed or how the census will be conducted.

Ramesh connected the amendment to an RSS training camp in Belgaum from July 10 to 12, 2026, which he said focused on Census 2027. He also pointed to the Union home ministry’s High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes, constituted on May 26, 2026. The committee sought public input on demographic changes, including from Indian and foreign organisations, on October 14.

The New Indian Express says Congress argued that the census notification of October 16 should be considered alongside the RSS camp and the committee’s request for submissions. The Times of India likewise reports that Ramesh linked the camp and committee to his criticism of the expanded enumerator pool.

Neither account establishes that the amendment itself directs appointments to RSS or BJP workers, or that those groups control the committee’s submissions. The accounts emphasize different parts of Congress’s charge. The Times of India highlights Ramesh’s concern about census credibility and his allegation that committee members were affiliated with the RSS ecosystem.

The New Indian Express foregrounds the claim that RSS-BJP workers could gain enumerator roles, and specifies “any other person” among the eligible categories. The affiliation claim and the predicted appointments remain Congress’s assertions in these reports.

The immediate issue is who may be appointed to carry out Census 2027 fieldwork under the amended rules, and whether the expanded eligibility pool will affect public confidence in the exercise. The sources document Congress’s objections and the rule change, but do not report appointments under the revised rules or evidence that the census’s credibility has been compromised.

Congress’s claims about the intended beneficiaries and the committee’s affiliations remain allegations.