Court Directs Group to Approach Census Authorities Directly for a Drop-down Caste Menu : Census 2027

What did the Supreme Court actually decide?

The Supreme Court did not order a drop-down caste menu for Census 2027. It gave the OBC Federation of India permission to file its petition as a formal representation before the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, who will decide as a policy matter. The court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, disposed of the case, saying census operations are not a constitutional issue.

Why did the court call it policy, not constitutional?

The Constitution recognises OBCs and the President's central list, but the court drew a sharp line. It said the format of the census form, whether a drop-down menu or an open text field, is an operational decision. That granular level, Justice Bagchi said, is not constitutional classification.

What is the exact Census budget figure?

The Union government approved ₹11,718.24 crore for Census 2027, covering honorarium, training, IT infrastructure and logistics. This is the official outlay announced by the Centre, matching the over ₹11,000 crore the OBC Federation cited in court.

Did the court dismiss a real practical concern?

The court did not reject the concern as wrong. Chief Justice Surya Kant called knowing backward class numbers a policy matter, and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said Census format is not constitutional. Instead of refusing the case, it sent the federation's petition to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner for a policy decision.

Are some regions already being counted now?

Yes. Population Enumeration, where caste is recorded, began in September 2026 in snow-bound regions like Ladakh, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Supreme Court hearing was in October 2026. Most of India's count happens in February 2027.

Did the OBC Federation win its case?

No, not in the sense of getting a court order. The Supreme Court disposed of the OBC Federation of India's petition on October 28, 2026, without ordering a drop-down caste menu for Census 2027. Instead, it allowed the federation to file its petition as a formal representation with the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, leaving the menu decision to policy-makers.

What is wrong with typing caste on Census forms?

Typing it out is what failed in 2011: the last caste count used open fields and produced hundreds of thousands of caste and sub-caste categories, many spelling variations and some unusable. A drop-down menu from a regularised list avoids that, the petition says.

What if Census authorities ignore the plea?

If the Census authorities ignore the plea, the OBC Federation can go back to court. The Supreme Court did not order a drop-down menu; it gave the federation permission to file its petition as a formal request for a policy decision. The authorities could still adopt the menu before counting begins in February 2027.

Will Census 2027 OBC data be unreliable?

That depends on what the Registrar General decides. The Census uses an open text field for OBC castes, which caused unusable, duplicate data in 2011. The court only allowed a petition asking for a drop-down menu, so reliability hinges on whether authorities adopt it.