Census Questionnaire Sparks Concern Over Blurring Routine Data and Citizenship Checks

Gist The proposed questionnaire for the upcoming Census has sparked political controversy by including detailed personal questions that mirror the contentious 2020 National Population Register NPR schedule. Critics argue that asking for specific identifiers and parental birth details shifts the Census from an anonymous statistical exercise into a potential surveillance and citizenship-verification tool. For UPSC aspirants, this issue highlights the friction between the state's legitimate need for integrated, granular governance data and the statutory links connecting the NPR to a nationwide National Register of Citizens NRC . Background The National Population Register NPR is a register of "usual residents" in India—defined as anyone living in a local area for at least six months or intending to do so, regardless of their nationality. First prepared in 2010 alongside the 2011 Census houselisting phase and updated in 2015 , the exercise was initially uncontroversial. However, under the Citizenship Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards Rules, 2003 , the NPR serves as the foundational, legally mandated database for preparing the National Register of Indian Citizens NRC . The 2003 rules…