New Delhi: The government has said in parliament that the Census 2027 will be conducted digitally.

The Census was due in 2021 and was delayed by six years, first because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then, for unknown reasons. While the pandemic's social distancing rules had made house visits and close contact unfeasible, thus delaying the Census exercise at first, it is unclear whether a decision to adapt digital means then – as the government is doing now – would have mitigated the problem.

The move to go digital also raises questions on whether those in India who do not have access to digital conveniences will be counted – and whether the data that the government will collect will be stored safely.

To a question by a Samajwadi Party MP Sanatan Pandey, junior home minister Nityanand Rai said, "It has been decided to conduct Census 2027 through digital means."

He said that the government has planned "to collect data through Mobile Apps."

Respondents, according to the government, may also self-enumerate through web-portal.

The Census process, Rai's reply said, is to be managed and monitored through a dedicated portal.

Pandey had asked:

(a) whether any technological innovations have been proposed to conduct Census-2027 through digital platform, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether these innovations include mobile apps or cloud based solutions and if so, the details thereof including present status thereof;

(c) whether any special provisions are being made for counting migrant workers and temporary residents during Census-2027;

(d) whether a separate data collection process is proposed for the same; and

(e) if so, the details thereof including the framework of the procedure?

To the last three questions, the government said that the information of every individual "is collected at the place where they are found during the entire period of enumeration."

On migrants, it said, "Migration data is collected for each and every individual based on their place of birth and place of last residence. The census also collects information on the duration of stay at the current residence and the reason for migration. Questionnaire for Census is notified before conducting field work by the Central Government through Official Gazette."

Reports are rife of workers and migrants suffering because of a digital push in welfares schemes and other taxpayer-funded initiatives. In November, for instance, it was reported that the names of around 27 lakh workers were deleted from the database of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) between October 10 and November 14 this year, during the Union government’s push to conduct e-KYC.

In another parliament reply, the Union government said that Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases, with the first phase held between April and September 2026, which will be followed by the second phase in February 2027.

Caste enumeration will also be done in the census.

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