Census 2027 process ‘totally perverted’, intent dubious: Congress
NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the ongoing preparations for Census 2027, alleging the exercise had been “totally perverted” and raising questions about its intent and the nature of the information being collected.
Reacting to a media report on changes in the Census schedule and questionnaire, Ramesh said the intent behind the exercise was “very dubious”. He described some of the proposed content as “worthless, superfluous and diabolical”.
“Census 2027 has got totally perverted,” Ramesh said in a post on social media.
His remarks came after the Centre advanced the population enumeration phase of Census 2027 in four poll-bound states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and the non-snow-bound areas of Uttarakhand. According to a gazette notification, enumeration in these states will be conducted from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027, followed by a revisional round from January 5 to 9.
The decision to bring forward the exercise has been linked to the Assembly elections expected in the four states in early 2027, with their legislative terms ending by May next year.
The Congress leader’s criticism also follows concerns reportedly expressed by some former Census officials over the introduction of several new questions in the Census schedule. The report cited apprehensions about the quality and utility of the data being collected and the possible relationship between the Census, the National Population Register (NPR) and, eventually, the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Census 2027 is being conducted in two phases, with house-listing and housing-related data forming the first phase and population enumeration constituting the second. The exercise is also significant as caste enumeration is being included in the Census for the first time in decades. The government has additionally introduced questions relating to details such as Aadhaar, bank accounts and passports, according to reports on the notified questionnaire.
The population enumeration in the remaining parts of the country is expected to take place in February 2027, while certain snow-bound areas are following a separate schedule.
Ramesh’s comments add to the political debate surrounding the design, timing, and proposed use of data collected during the country’s first Census since 2011.
