Congress Questions Census 2027 Intent And Proposed Data Collection

The Congress on Thursday described the Census 2027 exercise as “totally perverted”, questioning the government’s intent and raising objections to several questions proposed for the population enumeration. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh criticised the proposed format and questioned the relevance and purpose of some of the information being sought.

Ramesh’s remarks came in response to a media report that the government had decided to advance the Population Enumeration phase of Census 2027 in four poll-bound states. The report also highlighted the introduction of several new questions in the Census schedule, with concerns reportedly raised by some former Census officials over the quality and nature of the data that could be collected.

According to the report cited by Ramesh, former Census officials had also raised concerns over possible links between the Census, the National Population Register and, eventually, the National Register of Citizens. Ramesh criticised several proposed questions, describing some as worthless, others as unnecessary because similar datasets already exist, and others as deeply concerning. He specifically objected to questions relating to caste, vaccination and details concerning a person’s parents.

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

The Congress has separately raised objections to the proposed format of the caste census. On Wednesday, the party criticised the government’s decision to use open-ended questions instead of a drop-down list for collecting caste-related information. The party termed this a serious flaw and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted the caste census process to fail.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have also written jointly to Prime Minister Modi seeking changes to the manner in which the caste census is being conducted. In their August 20 letter, the two leaders raised objections to the existing process and reiterated the party’s demand for what it described as a proper and effective caste census exercise.

The latest criticism adds to the Congress’s broader concerns over the design and implementation of Census 2027. While the party has questioned the proposed questions and caste data collection format, the government’s planned enumeration exercise has also drawn scrutiny over how the information will be collected and used. The Congress has called for changes to the process, particularly in relation to caste enumeration and the scope of data being sought.

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