The Centre has asked Census officers to collect information on 40 specified items during the population enumeration phase. The list of questions covers basic demographic details such as name, relationship to the head of household, sex, date of birth, age, marital status, nationality, religion, caste, mother tongue and languages known. It also includes questions on literacy, digital literacy, educational attendance, highest educational level attained, work status, occupation, industry, class of worker and migration history. Opinion | Census 2027 must count castes, not create them Among the more significant inclusions are questions on Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and caste, as well as details of father and mother, disability, place of birth, place of last residence, reason for migration and duration of stay after migration. In a gazette notification issued on Friday, Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948), the Central government hereby instructs and directs that the census officers may, within the limits of the local area for which they have been respectively appointed, ask all such questions of all persons residing within such limits, pertaining to the items enumerated below, for collecting information through the Household Schedule in connection with the Census of India 2027,” it added. Opinion | Caste census is dead. Don’t expect a formal announcement or funeral The Household Schedule will also collect information about women, including the number of children at present, the number of children born alive, and the number of children born alive during the last one year, wherever applicable. “The questionnaire further seeks details on access to and possession of official documents and services, including bank accounts, mobile number, Aadhaar number, Voter ID number, passport number and driving licence. It also includes a question on the place of Covid-19 vaccination,” it said.
