Indian opposition leaders allege Census 2027 facilitates surveillance

Political leaders from the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have raised objections to the Census 2027 questionnaire, alleging it could facilitate state surveillance. Critics argue that new questions regarding the religion, date of birth, and place of birth of respondents’ parents are designed to indirectly implement the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed concerns that these queries could be used to link citizenship to religion. Vijayan described the inclusion of such details as “deeply troubling” and a “backdoor” for the NPR. Additionally, allegations have been made regarding the methodology for recording caste data, with claims that the process may be structured to discourage respondents from disclosing their caste or lead them to select “No Caste”.

The questionnaire, which has reportedly been introduced in Ladakh and parts of three other states, includes a “Family Particulars” section that asks for the birthplace of parents, including those born outside India.