No private data sought, ID details to be provided only if available: J&K, Ladakh Census chief

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Chief Principal Census Officer and Director, Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma. Photo: Special Arrangement

The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) on August 14 notified 40 questions for Population Enumeration, the second phase of the Census 2027, which will begin in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand from August 17 and continue till September 30, ahead of the rest of the country, where the exercise will be conducted in February 2027.

The Census 2027 questionnaire will include 13 new questions or data fields that were not part of the Census 2011 questionnaire, which had 29 questions.

The new questions seek information on the spouse’s name, nationality, father and mother’s particulars, digital literacy, permanent residential address, place of COVID-19 vaccination, number of bank accounts, passport, driving licence and mobile, Aadhaar and voter ID numbers, if available.

Amit Sharma, Chief Principal Census Officer and Director, Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, speaks with Vijaita Singh about the Census 2027 exercise and its significance for the two Union Territories.

Other than caste enumeration, which was a political demand, the Population Census 2027 will also enumerate new data fields such as place of COVID-19 vaccination, identity documents and particulars of parents. What is the rationale behind the inclusion of such questions?

The questions are decided after several rounds of discussions with all Ministries. No private or confidential data is being sought by enumerators; these are all documents provided by the government. We are not seeking the bank account details, only the number of accounts an individual has. The identity documents such as Aadhaar, voter ID, driving license, and passport are all issued by the government, and respondents are to provide them, subject to availability. All data is confidential under the Census Act, 1948. It is better if respondents write down their details on paper before an enumerator comes to their homes. Since there are 40 questions, it may take more time.

Self-enumeration in the entire Union Territory of Ladakh and in the snow-bound areas of 16 districts of J&K will begin on Monday (August 17) on the portal—www.se/snowbound.census.gov.in—before door-to-door enumeration begins on September 1. We would encourage people to self-enumerate. Beware of cyber fraud; fraudsters may seek information in the name of the Census. Our enumerators have QR-code-enabled ID cards; their credentials can be checked.

The self-enumeration option will be georeferenced and available only in the snow-bound areas. So, even if a resident of a snow-bound area of a district in J&K, say Gurez, who is presently in the plains, will not be able to access the portal.

Under the extended de facto pattern, everyone present at a location will be counted. Population enumeration has data analytics on migration, which is included under demographic details.