New Delhi: The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, on Monday asked people to provide accurate information to census enumerators, asserting that individual data will remain confidential and cannot be used as evidence or to obtain any benefit under any scheme.
Addressing a press conference, as the first phase of the country’s 16th Census is all set to begin in April in some states, including Delhi, the commissioner said that under Section 15 of the Census Act, all individual data remains confidential. The first phase of the Census will be conducted in Delhi from April 16 to May 15.
“All individual data collected during the exercise remains confidential. It cannot be shared with any organisation, be it government or private, under the Right to Information Act, or used as evidence in a court,” Narayan said.
Only statistical aggregate data will be used for tabulation purposes, he added.
Asked about caste being included in the Census and the apprehension that people may not furnish correct information, Narayan said the data related to caste will be collected during the second phase, and the questions will be decided after exhaustive discussions.
“There are many suggestions on how to collect caste information. All those will be considered, and the best will be put forth before finalising questions,” he said.
“Individual information cannot be used for any purpose. Only aggregate statistical information is made public. Individual data cannot be used to derive any benefit from any scheme. There is no such provision. Hence, the manipulation you are apprehending is not possible,” Narayan said.
The last comprehensive caste-based count was done between 1881 and 1931. Caste was excluded from all census operations conducted since Independence.
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census on April 30 last year.
Narayan said that strict measures are in place for digital security, in conformity with the norms set by the Indian agencies. He also made it clear that no documents shall be collected during the exercise.