- The plea asks that census caste data not be the sole basis for reservation policy until a verification protocol exists.
- The Chief Justice first said authorities do not collect information 'merely on form basis', then sought the note.
- In February 2026 the court disposed of Goel's earlier petition, asking authorities to consider his suggestions.
On 12 October 2026, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to place a note on how caste data is being collected and checked in Census 2027. The petition, by academic Aakash Goel, says the form relies on self-declaration and does not record or verify caste certificates. The court did not issue formal notice; ThePrint reported the government was asked to respond within two weeks.
Claim by claim
The court asked the Solicitor General for a note on the procedure, without issuing formal notice on the petition.
Both LiveLaw and ThePrint report the bench's direction and that no formal notice was issued.
LiveLaw · ThePrintThe Census 2027 exercise is costing about Rs 13,000 crore.
Said by Mukta Gupta, senior advocate for the petitionerStated in court by the petitioner's counsel; no official cost figure appears in the sources reviewed.
LiveLawThe census form asks for Aadhaar, voter ID and passport numbers but has no field for caste certificate details.
ThePrint summarises the petition's point; The Hindu's list of the 13 new fields includes ID numbers but no caste certificate field.
ThePrint · The HinduWhat each side says
Argues caste cannot be left to unchecked self-declaration when the data may shape welfare and reservation policy for years; proposes recording certificate numbers, or marking 'No Certificate', for each entry.
LiveLaw · ThePrintSwarajya argues the enumerator's job is to record what a person says, exactly as they say it, and that classification should be done later by qualified staff using published rules.
SwarajyaNot yet known
- ?What the Centre's note will say, and whether the court will issue formal notice after reading it.
Sources
4 outlets across the spectrum. Leanings are a rough guide to who reported it, not a verdict on accuracy.
- LiveLawCensus 2027 : Supreme Court Seeks Centre's Response On Plea Raising Concerns Over Self-Declaration Of Caste Status
- ThePrintSupreme Court tells govt to respond to plea seeking clarity on caste verification SOP for 2027 Census
- The HinduCensus 2027 questionnaire seeks parents’ religion, place of birth up to village level
- The HinduSC refuses to entertain PIL questioning procedures to record caste of citizens in 2027 census
- SwarajyaCensus 2027's Open Caste Column Is Not Sabotage. It Is The Only Honest Way To Count.
Spasht writes original summaries. Follow the links to read each outlet's own report. Revision 1.