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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5278
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24TH MARCH, 2026/ CHAITRA 3, 1948 (SAKA)
CENSUS 2027 SAFEGUARDS
5278. SHRI G KUMAR NAIK:
Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government proposes to conduct the forthcoming
Population Census using digital and technology-enabled methods, and if so,
the nature of personal data proposed to be collected;
(b) whether the Government has clarified if Census data will remain strictly
isolated for statistical purposes or whether it is proposed to be linked,
directly or indirectly, with databases such as Aadhaar, the National
Population Register, voter rolls or any other administrative datasets, and if
so, the legal basis and safeguards governing such linkage;
(c) whether there exist legal provisions to ensure that Census data is not
shared for citizenship verification, profiling or surveillance purposes and
whether independent security audits are mandated and the details thereof;
and
(d) the steps being taken to ensure federal participation in the Census
process, including real-time access for State Governments to enumeration
data during collection, public dashboards, independent verification of
Census data?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI NITYANAND RAI)
(a): Yes, Sir. Census 2027 is planned to be conducted through digital
means. Apart from collection of Census data by the Enumerators using
Mobile App, provision for Self-Enumeration by the respondents has-2-
L.S.US.Q.NO. 5278 FOR 24.03.2026
also been made for the first time through a web portal. A web Portal has
been developed to manage and monitor various activities of Census 2027.
Questions for the first phase of Census 2027 have been notified. Questions
of second phase of Census are notified in due course before conduct of
second phase. While information on housing condition, household
particulars, amenities available and assets possessed by the household are
collected in the first phase of the Census, information on demographic,
socio-economic, education, migration etc. of the individual members are
collected in the second phase of the Census.
(b) and (c): Census is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act
1948 and Census Rules, 1990 and amendments made thereunder. Individual
data collected in the Census is kept confidential and only aggregated data
at various administrative levels is published.
(d): States and Union Territories play a pivotal role in smooth conduct of
the Census, as various field-level activities including collection of data,
verification, monitoring and supervision, review of progress are carried out
by Census functionaries appointed and deployed by the respective State
Governments and Union Territory Administrations under the provisions of
Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules,1990.
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