The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to stop the upcoming caste-based enumeration and provide economic incentives for families with a single child. During the hearing, a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant took strong exception to the “indecent language” employed in the petition, rebuking the petitioner for the lack of decorum in the legal filing.
The legal challenge involved a prayer to direct the Central Government to halt the caste Census process. Additionally, the petitioner sought a judicial mandate for the formulation of policies providing economic benefits to single-child families. The bench, which also comprised Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, dismissed the plea in its entirety, primarily focusing on the inappropriate drafting and language of the petition.
‘Who wrote your petition?’
The proceedings were marked by the court’s sharp disapproval of the petitioner’s conduct. Addressing the petitioner, who appeared in person, a visibly displeased Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned the source of the language used in the document.
“Aapne apne petition me badtameezi ki bhasa likhi hai. Aapne kisse apna petition likhwaya hai? (You have written indecent language in your petition. Who has written your petition?),” the CJI remarked.
Continuing the scrutiny of the petition’s tone, the CJI further asked, “Aap kahan se aisi bhasa likhte ho petition me? (From where you write such language in your petition?)”
Background and Context
The 2027 Census, officially designated as the 16th national census, is set to be a milestone administrative exercise. It will be the first comprehensive caste enumeration in India since 1931 and is scheduled to be the country’s first fully digital census.
This is not the first instance where the apex court has dealt with challenges to the 2027 Census. On February 2, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a separate PIL that questioned the procedure for recording, classifying, and verifying caste data for the general Census. By dismissing the current plea, the court has cleared further legal hurdles for the government’s scheduled decennial exercise.
