SANGRUR, March 18 -- The Punjab school education department has directed district authorities to mobilise teachers and office staff as enumerators for the state's upcoming first drug and socio-economic census, triggering fresh backlash from teachers' unions over the continued assignment of non-academic duties. In an order, a copy of which is with HT, issued on March 13, the director of school education (secondary) instructed all district education officers (DEOs) to deploy the maximum number of eligible staff as enumerators for the survey, scheduled to begin on April 5 and conclude within 45 days. The move has drawn criticism from teachers' unions, including the Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF). Union leaders Vikramdev Singh and Mohinder Kumar said that assigning such duties during the examination period would affect students' learning. Multiple calls and text messages to education minister Harjot Singh Bains did not elicit any response....