A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest writ petition challenging guidelines promulgated for conducting the Bharat Census 2011, which excluded persons engaged in the cultivation of rubber, tea, coffee, coconut, and areca nut from the definition of agriculturists.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A.M. Shaffique said there was sufficient explanation for treating the agricultural operations in the form of plantation differently.
The classification made for the census was based on the National Industrial Classification.
The petition was filed by P.C. Thomas. According to him, the exclusion of the production of tea, coffee, rubber, coconut and areca nut from the definition of agriculture was arbitrary.
