Supreme Court Dismisses PIL on Denotified Tribes in Census

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, declined to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) requesting the classification of Denotified Nomadic Tribes as a separate category in the forthcoming national Census. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, emphasized that such decisions fall under governmental policy and are not justiciable.

Representing the petitioner, Dakxinkumar Bajrange, Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave clarified that the request was not for Scheduled Tribe status but aimed at providing statistical visibility for the Denotified Nomadic Tribes. Despite these arguments, the court redirected the petitioner to make a representation to the registrar general and census commissioner.

The Chief Justice questioned the necessity of the plea, suggesting potential external influences aiming to divide society. Justice Bagchi recognized the technical nature of the Census, affirming it as an expert-led government policy area. The petitioner was granted freedom to seek resolutions with relevant government bodies, referencing the recent representation submitted before court appeal.