Routine data or citizenship check? Why Census questionnaire sparked concern, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The questionnaire for the population enumeration phase of Census 2027 has generated political controversy.
• Concerns have been raised by the Congress and Left parties regarding privacy and potential links to surveillance and a National Register of Citizens (NRC).
• Several new or modified questions in the Census questionnaire are similar to those in the National Population Register (NPR) schedule notified in 2020.
• Eight questions, including nationality, parents' particulars, and identity documents, overlap with the 2020 NPR schedule.
• The controversy echoes the 2019-20 period when the NPR was linked to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and fears of a nationwide NRC.
• The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, legally connect the NPR to the preparation of a citizens' register.

Detailed Insights:

• The Census traditionally collects data for population statistics and planning, but the new questionnaire seeks a much wider range of personal information.
• Privacy concerns focus on how the extensive personal data collected will be stored, protected, and utilized by the government.
• The NPR is defined as a register of "usual residents," which can include foreigners, and is distinct from a citizenship register.
• The legal connection between NPR and NRC became politically sensitive following the CAA and the NRC exercise in Assam.
• Statements by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2019-20 about a nationwide NRC following CAA fueled public mistrust regarding the NPR.
• Despite government assurances that NPR data would not be used for NRC, official rules and other statements contradicted this, deepening skepticism.
• The government argues that detailed demographic data aids in policy formulation, welfare scheme delivery, and improving national security.
• The NPR was also envisioned to integrate basic demographic information with identity documents for more efficient government services.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Census: A decennial exercise to enumerate the entire population of a country, collecting demographic and socio-economic data.
• National Population Register (NPR): A register of "usual residents" of the country, prepared under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
• National Register of Citizens (NRC): An official record of all legal citizens of India, aimed at identifying illegal immigrants.
• Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019: An act that grants a path to Indian citizenship for religious minorities (excluding Muslims) who have fled persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
• Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003: Rules that provide for the preparation of a Population Register and its verification for the creation of a National Register of Indian Citizens.