"Data is completely safe": Deputy Director clarifies Census, SIR are separate as exercise nears final stage
New Delhi, June 8
The first phase of the Census in Delhi, which involved self-enumeration, was conducted smoothly, while the second phase, scheduled from May 16 to June 14, has now reached its final stage, officials said on Monday.
Jitendra Gouda, Deputy Director, Directorate of Census Operations, stated, "The self-enumeration in Delhi took place from May 1 to May 15, during which the general public provided their information on the portal at their own level. Now, the door-to-door visits are being conducted from May 16 to June 14 during this first phase. We have almost reached the final stage now."
While praising authorities for their extraordinary contribution in the ongoing census, he said, "The district authorities have managed this to a great extent. They have held meetings at their level and, where required, even deployed Civil Defence authorities to ensure every effort is made to collect information.
Gouda assured citizens that the process is fully secure under the Census Act of 1948. "The information collected from the general public is completely safe. The Act also specifies that your information will not be shared with any other agency. The data is never published at an individual level; it is always published in aggregate form," he said.
Addressing concerns that the Census might be linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls or Voter ID cards, Gouda clarified, "This confusion is completely wrong. In the Census, we do not even ask for documents. We neither request nor require any documents when enumerators visit homes. Any belief that SIR, Aadhaar, or Voter ID will be affected is entirely false. Census and SIR are completely separate exercises."
He further explained the methodology, stating, "In the Census, we follow the concept of 'Normally Resident.' We count individuals wherever they normally reside. We do not follow the concept of 'Permanent Resident,' and domicile status or permanent residence is not considered for this purpose."
— ANI
Reader Comments
I'm a bit wary about sharing personal info online, even if they say it's secure. The portal part sounds convenient, but we've seen data leaks elsewhere. Still, the door-to-door visit approach seems more traditional and trustworthy. Let's hope they handle everything with care.
Great to see the Census picking up pace! Self-enumeration saved a lot of hassle. One question though — how do they ensure that people who don't have internet access are covered? Not everyone in Delhi has a smartphone or computer. Hope the door-to-door teams are reaching those areas too.
I appreciate the clarification about SIR and Voter ID. Many people in my colony were scared that their voter IDs would be cancelled if they didn't participate in census. The use of 'Normally Resident' concept instead of 'Permanent Resident' is also smart — it reflects the reality of our mobile population. Well done! 👍
The Census Act of 1948 providing data protection feels outdated in this digital age. They should update the rules to cover modern privacy concerns like biometric data and online storage. But I'm glad they at least mentioned it won't be shared with other agencies. Transparency is key.
So happy to see Civil Defence being deployed! My area had a lot of migrant workers who were initially suspicious, but the enumerators explained things patiently. The 'no documents needed' policy helped reduce fear. Data safety is important, but so is trust-building on the ground.
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