Census 2027 Asks About Parents’ Religion, Birthplace

The Census 2027 questionnaire, now active in Ladakh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, includes questions about the religion, date of birth, and place of birth (down to the village level) for both parents. This phase of the census introduces new details not seen since 2011, such as asking for spouses’ names, digital literacy, COVID-19 vaccination locations, bank accounts, and identification numbers like Aadhaar and voter IDs.

For caste enumeration, Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) can select their caste from a dropdown menu. Others must type their caste name in an open field. This is India’s first official caste census. However, some critics, like Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, argue that the method used to record caste is flawed. They point out that earlier attempts at caste enumeration led to inconsistent data due to differing interpretations of caste names.

The questionnaire also asks where COVID-19 vaccines were administered—inside or outside India—and includes details about parents’ birthplaces even if they were born abroad. Door-to-door surveys in these regions will begin in September 2023, while the rest of the country will follow in February 2027.

The census aims to collect detailed information for better planning and governance, but concerns remain about data accuracy and privacy.