Census 2027 Form To Seek Aadhaar, Phone, Bank Information From Indian Households

India's 2027 Census will collect a wider range of personal information than previous decadal exercises, including details related to mobile numbers, Aadhaar, voter identification, passports, driving licences and bank accounts. The Registrar General of India has notified a questionnaire containing 40 questions for the upcoming Census, which will also include caste-related information for all respondents. The exercise represents a significant expansion in the type of information sought from households compared with earlier Censuses.

According to the questionnaire, respondents will be asked about the total number of bank accounts they hold, along with information concerning their mobile number, Aadhaar number, voter ID number, passport number and driving licence status. Questionnaires from earlier Censuses, covering exercises from 1872 through 2011 and available on the Census Department's website, do not contain questions seeking details of such documents held by respondents. The inclusion of these questions therefore marks a departure from the information traditionally collected through the national population count.

The upcoming Census will also introduce a major change in the collection of caste data. Traditionally, the Census recorded whether respondents belonged to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe categories. The 2027 exercise, however, will collect caste information for all respondents, making it the first Census since Independence to undertake such an exercise. The decision is expected to provide a broader dataset on the country's social composition and demographic structure.

Also Read: Centre Notifies 40 Questions For Census 2027, Including Caste And Covid Vaccine

The Census questionnaire has been designed to capture information that can provide a detailed picture of households and individuals across the country. Respondents will be required to answer the questions to the best of their "knowledge or belief", according to the notified framework. The information provided by respondents will then be recorded by enumerators as part of the Census process.

The data collection will primarily be carried out digitally, reflecting the increasing use of technology in India's population-counting exercise. However, enumerators will also be permitted to record information on paper in circumstances where digital collection is not possible or practical. This provision is intended to ensure that the exercise can continue even in areas or situations where digital access presents difficulties.

The expansion of the questionnaire comes as India prepares for the next decadal population count after the 2011 Census. The 2021 Census was delayed amid the Covid-19 pandemic, making the upcoming exercise particularly significant for updating India's demographic and socioeconomic database. The information gathered through the Census is used by governments and policymakers for planning public services, infrastructure and welfare programmes. The inclusion of additional personal and caste-related information is expected to make the 2027 exercise substantially broader in scope than previous Censuses.

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