"Census 2027 questionnaire raises privacy and citizenship data concerns"
National Population Register (NPR)
a register of 'usual residents' of India, including foreigners meeting a 6-month residence criterion.
National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC/NRC)
a register of verified Indian citizens, legally linked to the NPR under the Citizenship Rules, 2003.
India's decennial Census is governed by the Census Act, 1948. It mandates the Registrar General of India to enumerate every person present on Indian soil during the reference period, regardless of nationality or legal status. The constitutional basis lies in Entry 69 of the Union List (Seventh Schedule), which places census-taking exclusively within Parliament's domain. The Census has historically served as the foundational dataset for welfare targeting, delimitation of constituencies, and fiscal resource allocation.
The National Population Register (NPR) is a separate but related exercise. It is a register of the country's 'usual residents', defined as anyone who has lived in a local area for at least six months or intends to stay for the next six months. This definition includes foreigners meeting the residence criterion. The NPR was first prepared in 2010 alongside the houselisting phase of the 2011 Census and was updated in 2015. Its legal basis lies in the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, which explicitly link the Population Register to the preparation of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).
The Census 2027 population enumeration questionnaire contains 40 questions, of which 14 are new or modified compared to the 2011 Census. New additions include spouse's name, nationality as declared, father's and mother's particulars, caste and Scheduled Caste/Tribe status, digital literacy, highest educational qualification and stream, place of Covid-19 vaccination, number of bank accounts, mobile number, Aadhaar, voter ID, passport, and driving licence. Eight of these questions also appeared in the NPR schedule notified in 2020.
The legal linkage between the NPR and the NRC is the core of the controversy. The Citizenship Rules, 2003 provide that once a Population Register is prepared and verified, it forms the basis for the citizens' register. The rules further allow individuals whose citizenship is considered doubtful to be marked for further inquiry. …
With reference to India, consider the following statements:
1.There is only one citizenship and one domicile in India.
2.A person who is a citizen from birth can only become the Head of the State.
3.Once a foreigner is given citizenship, he/she cannot be deprived of it under any circumstances.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the National Population Register (NPR) of India, consider the following statements:
1.The NPR is a register of Indian citizens only.
2.A 'usual resident' under the NPR includes a foreigner who has lived in a local area for at least six months.
3.The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 link the Population Register to the preparation of the National Register of Indian Citizens.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following correctly describes the constitutional basis for conducting the Census in India?
With reference to the Census 2027 questionnaire, which of the following is/are among the new or modified questions compared to the 2011 Census?
1.Aadhaar number
2.Nationality as declared
3.Father's and mother's particulars
4.Religion
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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