The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to take a formal decision on a schoolteacher's plea seeking exemption from census duties on medical grounds. The court also issued notices to the central government and other respondents in the matter.
Court Orders and Background
Justice Rajnish Vyas, while hearing a writ petition filed by Lalita Satpute through counsel Vishal Anand, ordered the assistant commissioner of NMC's Gandhibagh zone to decide on her representations submitted on April 9 and April 23. Satpute, 55, an assistant teacher at Nityanand Vidyalaya and Junior College since August 1991, approached the court challenging the directions assigning her duties as a supervisor and enumerator for census operations.
Medical Concerns Raised
The petitioner sought the quashing of the civic body's directive and requested interim protection from participating in the exercise, citing serious medical concerns linked to recent eye surgeries. Satpute underwent retina surgery in February 2025 and later cataract surgery in her left eye in January this year. She informed the court that doctors advised her to take strict precautions during recovery.
The court was informed that the assistant commissioner issued an initial communication regarding census-related training and deployment to the school principal on April 2. A subsequent direction was directly issued to Satpute on April 22. Before moving to the High Court, Satpute submitted formal representations to the civic authorities requesting cancellation of her census assignment due to her medical condition. The civic administration allegedly failed to take any decision on those requests, prompting the writ petition.
Next Steps
The court has now directed the NMC to consider Satpute's representations and pass a formal order. The matter is expected to be heard further once the NMC takes a decision.
