Now Reading: Census 2027 to ask 40 questions including caste, Aadhaar, bank accounts
-
01
Census 2027 to ask 40 questions including caste, Aadhaar, bank accounts
Census 2027 to ask 40 questions including caste, Aadhaar, bank accounts
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has notified 40 questions for Census 2027, covering caste, religion, Aadhaar, bank accounts, voter ID, passport and driving licence. For the first time since Independence, the…
The Story in Brief
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has notified 40 questions for Census 2027, covering caste, religion, Aadhaar, bank accounts, voter ID, passport and driving licence. For the first time since Independence, the census will collect caste details for all respondents, not just Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Rediff.com notes that previous censuses from 1872 to 2011 did not ask for personal document numbers.
The fully digital enumeration begins in September 2026 in snow-bound areas, with a self-enumeration option from August 17-31. Respondents must answer to the best of their knowledge. The Cabinet has approved Rs 11,718 crore for the decadal exercise, which was postponed from 2021 due to Covid-19.
The Indian Opinion
The inclusion of Aadhaar, bank account numbers and mobile numbers alongside caste and religion has revived old fears of state overreach. Privacy is a genuine concern, especially without a comprehensive data protection law. Yet, the Census Act already penalises improper questions and keeps individual data confidential. The government must bridge this trust deficit before enumeration. A concrete test: will Parliament pass the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill before enumerators start knocking?
Sources (2): news.abplive.com, rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
