Individual Data Collected From Census Not Used For Preparation Of NRC, Other Databases: MHA

Mobile apps for collection of data and a census portal for management and monitoring of different statistics related exercises have been created, said Nityanand Rai.

Indian census enumerator chats to a resident as she records details for census (Source: File photo/AFP)

New Delhi: The Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on Wednesday said that personal data is not used to prepare any other database including the National Register of Citizens (NRC), as reported by the news agency PTI. Personal data collected in the census is not made public. Only consolidated census data is released at various administrative levels.

"The individual data collected in the census under the Census Act, 1948 are not made public as per the provisions contained in the Act. Only the aggregated census data at various administrative levels are released," he said in a written reply to a question.

Nityanand Rai said that the registration planned for 2021 and related field exercises got delayed until additional orders because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding when held, it will be the first digital census with provision for self enumeration.

In the census, Rai said information is gathered on segments and different financial boundaries like education, SC, ST, religion, language, marriage, fertility, disability, occupation, and migration of people.

"The individual data are not used for the preparation of any other database including the National Register of Citizens," he said.

Mobile apps for the collection of data and a census portal for management and monitoring of different statistics-related exercises have been created, said Rai.

For faster handling and the early arrival of information, a special emphasis is given to scientifically designing the census questions, said the minister.

(With PTI inputs)