Former Census officials have raised concerns about the confidentiality of information that will be collected during India’s 2027 Census. They are worried that some of the information gathered during the Census could later be used for purposes connected to the National Population Register (NPR) or the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The government has recently brought forward the Population Enumeration phase of the 2027 Census in four states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa. The Census questionnaire will contain 40 questions, including 13 new questions that were not part of the 2011 Census.
The concerns mainly relate to the type of information being requested. Some of the new questions are similar to questions included in the 2019 NPR rehearsal form. These include details about a person’s parents, religion, Aadhaar number and voter ID. Critics say that including such questions could make it more difficult to clearly separate Census activities from population registration exercises.
Under Indian law, Census information is treated as confidential. However, former officials have pointed out that there is a historical connection between Census data and the preparation of NRC records.
K. Narayanan Unni, a former Deputy Registrar General of India, said that Census data is protected by confidentiality rules. However, he also noted that Census information had been used in the past to prepare the NRC in Assam. He said that whether Census data could be used for similar purposes in the future would depend on how the relevant laws are interpreted.
India’s first Census after Independence was conducted in 1951. At that time, NRC records were prepared by copying information from Census records. However, a nationwide NRC was never fully published. Assam later became the only state where an NRC exercise was carried out on a large scale.
The inclusion of additional questions in the 2027 Census has therefore attracted attention. Officials and critics are questioning why some information, such as Aadhaar numbers and vaccination details, needs to be collected through the Census when similar information is already available with other government departments.
There are also concerns about the length of the questionnaire. A large number of questions could create what officials describe as “respondent fatigue.” This means that people may become tired or lose interest while answering a long list of questions. This could make it more difficult for Census workers to collect complete and accurate information.
Another issue raised by Mr. Unni is the timing of the Census exercise in different states. The government has advanced the Population Enumeration process in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa. The exercise has been delayed in Manipur because of the security situation and continuing violence.
The timing could also create difficulties in counting migrant workers. Many workers from Uttar Pradesh, for example, may travel back to their home state during the election period. If they are not present at their usual place of work when the enumeration takes place, officials could face challenges in recording accurate population figures.
Former Census officials have stressed that the Census and the NPR are legally separate exercises. The Census is primarily designed to collect information about the population, while the NPR is intended to maintain details about people who normally live in a particular area.
However, the historical use of Census information in preparing NRC records has led to concerns about how the data could be used in the future. Critics want the government to provide clear information about the legal safeguards protecting Census data and explain how the new questions will be handled.
The debate highlights the importance of maintaining public trust in the Census process. Since millions of people will provide personal information during the 2027 exercise, officials will need to ensure that the data is collected accurately, stored securely and used only for legally permitted purposes.