T’puram: As Kerala waits for a new govt to assume office, one of the state’s most entrenched administrative rituals — the post-election transfer season — has run into an unexpected obstacle the Census 2027 exercise.In an order issued just weeks before the change of govt, chief secretary A Jayathilak has effectively frozen the transfer and reshuffle of a vast network of officials connected with census operations till March 31, 2027, setting the stage for a possible confrontation between administrative continuity and political transition. The order, issued on March 27, cites directions from the Union home secretary stating that officers deployed for census duties are engaged in statutory functions under the Census Act, 1948, and Census Rules, 1990, and therefore “shall not be transferred or shifted” during the census operations. Acting on that communication, the state govt directed that all census functionaries appointed at the state, district, taluk and enumeration block levels be retained in their present positions until March 31, 2027. The order further instructed all departments and field authorities to “strictly comply” with the directive and avoid transfers except with prior approval from the competent authority. The incoming govt is widely expected to initiate a sweeping overhaul of the bureaucracy once it assumes office — a familiar pattern in the state whenever power changes hands. But the census order potentially places significant sections of the administrative machinery beyond the immediate reach of such reshuffles.“Usually, a new govt’s first message to the bureaucracy comes through transfers. But this time, the census has suddenly become a legal shield around a large section of the administrative machinery. The political leadership may want a complete reset but the statutory nature of the census process means you cannot simply move people around the way govts normally do after an election,” said a senior IAS officer, requesting anonymity. Among the most notable categories covered are all district collectors, deputy collectors, revenue divisional officers, tahsildars, municipal secretaries, district planning officers, district informatics officers, education officials, economics and statistics officials, and several other field-level officials. The inclusion of district collectors has drawn attention within bureaucratic circles. At least five collectors are understood to have already completed the conventional two-year tenure in their districts and were widely expected to be shifted after the new govt takes office. Now, the census order creates an administrative shield around them. Whether the incoming govt will fully honour the order, seek exemptions, or attempt to dilute its operational effect and reinterpretations.Officials also note that the order itself leaves a narrow opening by permitting transfers with “prior approval of the competent authority.”
