Census Officials Instructed to Maintain Data Confidentiality
Strict Guidelines for Census Data Release
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New Delhi, Jul 1: The Registrar General of India has issued a directive to Census officials prohibiting the release of any "provisional population figures" or related data to the media or any other entities until further notice.
In a communication sent to all Census Operations Directorates nationwide, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, emphasized that all data gathered during the Census is confidential and safeguarded under the Census Act of 1948.
"It is important to note that provisional population figures or any Census data derived from Houselisting or other related schedules must not be disclosed to the media or utilized by any authority, whether official or unofficial, until explicit instructions are provided by the ORGI," the statement clarified.
Narayan highlighted the necessity for all Census personnel, from Principal Census Officers to Enumerators and DCO staff, to be adequately informed about the confidentiality of the data collected and processed during the Census.
"Any violation of these instructions by officials involved in Census Operations will be taken seriously, and those at fault will face appropriate disciplinary measures under the Census Act of 1948 and relevant regulations," the directive stated.
Despite the Census being a fully digital initiative where data is collected via mobile devices using specially designed applications, in cases of operational challenges such as technical difficulties or connectivity issues, data may exceptionally be gathered using paper schedules as outlined in the instruction manuals.
"The Charge Officer must ensure that data entry for all Houselisting Blocks (HLBs) collected in paper format is completed within seven days following the conclusion of the Houselisting Operations (HLO) period," the RGI's directives specified.
Records will be securely packaged and sent to the Directorate of Census Operations through the Postal Department, as per the guidelines.
The RGI stressed the importance of adhering to established protocols for packing and maintaining records of the data collected during the Census.
This Census marks the eighth since India's independence and is being conducted in two phases: the first phase involves house listing and housing census, while the second phase focuses on population enumeration.
Field activities for housing listing commenced on April 16 across various states and Union Territories and will continue until September 30, during which all structures, houses, and households will be cataloged to lay a solid groundwork for the population enumeration.
The second phase, known as the Population Enumeration phase, is expected to start in February next year, excluding snowbound areas, during which data on demographic, socio-cultural, and economic factors, as well as migration and fertility characteristics of individuals from each household, will be collected.
The caste enumeration for the Census 2027 will also occur during the "second phase" of the population count, commencing in February 2027 across the country, except for snowbound regions and non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where it will take place in September 2026.
This extensive exercise serves as the largest source of primary data at the village, town, and ward levels, offering micro-level insights into various parameters, including housing conditions, amenities and assets, demographics, religion, SC and ST classifications, language, literacy and education, economic activities, migration, and fertility.