eCourtsIndia
IndiaCode Laws
Section3
The Collection of Statistics Act, 2008

Collection of statistics

In force From 11 Jun 2010 Act 7 of 2009 As on 16 Oct 2026

Act 7 of 2009 Ministry Statistics and Programme Implementation Enacted 07 Jan 2009 In force 11 Jun 2010 Cited by 3 provisions Instruments 40

Section 3 of the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 deals with collection of statistics. The appropriate Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that the statistics on economic, demographic, social, scientific and environmental aspects shall be collected through a statistical survey or otherwise, and thereupon the provisions of this Act shall apply in relation to The Act came into force on 11 Jun 2010.

The appropriate Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that the statistics on economic, demographic, social, scientific and environmental aspects shall be collected through a statistical survey or otherwise, and thereupon the provisions of this Act shall apply in relation to those statistics:

Provided that--

(a) nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to authorise a State Government or Union territory Administration or any local government to issue any direction with respect to the collection of statistics relating to any matter falling under any of the entries specified in List I (Union List) in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution; or

(b) where the Central Government has issued any direction under this section for the collection of statistics relating to any matter, no State Government or Union territory Administration or any local government shall, except with the previous approval of the Central Government, issue any similar direction for so long as the collection of such statistics by the Central Government remain to be completed; or

(c) where a State Government or Union territory Administration or any local government has issued a direction under this section for the collection of statistics relating to any matter, the Central Government shall not issue any similar direction for so long as the collection of such statistics by the State Government remain to be completed, except in cases where such statistics have to be collected with reference to two or more States or Union territories.

Section 3, The Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 (Act 7 of 2009).

Cross-references

Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.

Referred to by 3

  1. s. 2 Definitions
  2. s. 4 Powers of appropriate Government to appoint statistics officer, etc
  3. s. 33 Power to make rules

Related judgements & precedents

These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.

  1. Ek Soch Ek Prayas v. Union of India

    High Court 01 Aug 2023 Persuasive (High Court) Reportable CWJC No. 4650/2023 (Patna HC DB); Common Judgment 01.08.2023

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Co-listed with Youth for Equality/Akhilesh: Collection of Statistics Act s.3 competence and notification content for Bihar caste survey. Common labelled Final Order 01.08.2023.

    On this section: Same common Patna DB s.3 Collection of Statistics competence analysis.

    Read the full order on eCourts India

  2. Akhilesh Kumar v. State of Bihar

    High Court 01 Aug 2023 Persuasive (High Court) Reportable CWJC No. 4624/2023 (Patna HC DB); Common Judgment 01.08.2023 (with Youth for Equality batch)

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Collection of Statistics Act 2008 s.3: State caste-survey notification scrutinised against s.3 power/provisos (core statistics / concurrent subjects); common Patna DB judgment with Youth for Equality batch. Same labelled Final Order PDF as wave79 Youth for Equality CNR.

    On this section: Common Patna DB tested caste-survey notification against Collection of Statistics Act s.3 power and provisos.

    Read the full order on eCourts India

  3. Youth for Equality v. State of Bihar

    High Court 01 Aug 2023 Persuasive (High Court) Reportable CWJC No. 5542/2023 (Patna HC DB); Final Order 01.08.2023

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 s.3 empowers collection of statistics (including caste data for socio-economic survey) distinct from Census Act competence; Bihar caste survey upheld under Collection of Statistics framework. DATE VERIFIED Final Order 2023-08-01 (order-1.pdf).

    On this section: s.3 collection-of-statistics power sustains State caste socio-economic survey; distinct from Census Act monopoly.

    Read the full order on eCourts India

  4. Muskan Kumari v. State of Bihar

    High Court 01 Aug 2023 Persuasive (High Court) Reportable CWJC No. 6506/2023 (Patna HC DB); Common Judgment 01.08.2023

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Co-listed Patna DB caste-survey batch: Collection of Statistics Act s.3 competence/provisos. Common labelled Final Order 01.08.2023 with Youth for Equality.

    On this section: Same common Patna DB s.3 Collection of Statistics analysis as Youth for Equality batch.

    Read the full order on eCourts India

The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.

Judgments citing this section

These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.

  1. High Court 01 Aug 2023 BRHC010354652023

    … of there being no legitimate aim for the attempted survey, at this stage, and we only notice the absence of the purpose for collection of statistics, in the notification, which is a mandate under the Rules of 2011. The State could have proceeded under the Collection of Statistics Act; under the proviso (c) to Section 3 or based on the authority we found earlier from the various constitutional provisions, to carry out a survey of the instant nature; both of which could be treated as valid. Proviso (a) to Section 3 prohibits a State Government or Union Territory Administration from issuing any direction with respect to collection of …

    Read this order on eCourtsIndia

  2. High Court 01 Aug 2023 BRHC010227942023

    … of there being no legitimate aim for the attempted survey, at this stage, and we only notice the absence of the purpose for collection of statistics, in the notification, which is a mandate under the Rules of 2011. The State could have proceeded under the Collection of Statistics Act; under the proviso (c) to Section 3 or based on the authority we found earlier from the various constitutional provisions, to carry out a survey of the instant nature; both of which could be treated as valid. Proviso (a) to Section 3 prohibits a State Government or Union Territory Administration from issuing any direction with respect to collection of …

    Read this order on eCourtsIndia

  3. High Court 01 Aug 2023 BRHC010406092023

    … of there being no legitimate aim for the attempted survey, at this stage, and we only notice the absence of the purpose for collection of statistics, in the notification, which is a mandate under the Rules of 2011. The State could have proceeded under the Collection of Statistics Act; under the proviso (c) to Section 3 or based on the authority we found earlier from the various constitutional provisions, to carry out a survey of the instant nature; both of which could be treated as valid. Proviso (a) to Section 3 prohibits a State Government or Union Territory Administration from issuing any direction with respect to collection of …

    Read this order on eCourtsIndia

Made under this section, and citing it

33 instruments state that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.

Another 7 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.

All subordinate legislation

Questions about Section 3

What have the courts held on Section 3 of the Collection of Statistics Act?

Ek Soch Ek Prayas v. Union of India (01 Aug 2023) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Same common Patna DB s.3 Collection of Statistics competence analysis. Another 3 judgments on this section are set out below.

How do I find court cases under Section 3 of the Collection of Statistics Act?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Collection of Statistics Act 3, section 3 Collection of Statistics Act, section 3 of the Collection of Statistics Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 4 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Ek Soch Ek Prayas v. Union of India (01 Aug 2023).

What should I read with Section 3 of the Collection of Statistics Act, and has it changed?

3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there are 33: most recently Annual survey of Industries 2023-24,Notification Under Act The collection of Statistics Act,2008 (2025), then Annual survey of Industries 2022-23,Notification Under Act The collection of Statistics Act,2008 (2024), and 31 more.

When did Section 3 of the Collection of Statistics Act come into force?

Section 3 of the Collection of Statistics Act, cited as Collection of Statistics Act 3, came into force on 11 Jun 2010, having been enacted on 07 Jan 2009. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 16 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.