Senior Officer Steps Down In Gujarat Amidst Looming 2027 Census Preparations

Gandhinagar, September 14 (TNA) At a time when the Government of India is preparing for the much-delayed Census of India 2027—postponed by nearly seven years—a senior officer has unexpectedly opted for voluntary retirement (VRS).

Santosh Kumar Misra, a senior Class-I officer of the Deputy Director rank in the Directorate of Census Operations, Gujarat, Gandhinagar, has stepped down from service. His office holds strategic significance, as Gandhinagar is not only the state capital but also the parliamentary constituency of the Union Home Minister, under whose ministry the Census operations are carried out.

While Misra has officially cited “family reasons” for his decision, sources within the establishment suggest a different story. According to insiders, the decision is believed to have been influenced by mounting work pressure, rising nepotism within the department, and a lack of clarity from the top brass in New Delhi.

The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI), who controls all state Census offices, has reportedly been slow in decision-making, with key preparations for the Census caught in bureaucratic red tape. Officials describe the current environment as one marked by confusion over methodology, messy planning frameworks, and delayed directives—all of which are fuelling unease among officers tasked with execution on the ground.

Observers note that Misra’s exit may be symbolic of deeper unrest within the Census machinery. With the world’s largest enumeration exercise already delayed and preparations still far from streamlined, his departure raises uncomfortable questions about whether other officers, too, are reluctant to shoulder responsibility for what some fear could become a bureaucratic scapegoating exercise if execution falters.

The development comes at a critical juncture for the Ministry of Home Affairs, which faces both administrative and political pressure to ensure that the upcoming Census—an exercise of monumental scale—does not falter under the weight of delays and disarray.