The Registrar General of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, recently mentioned that no decision has been made regarding updates to the National Population Register (NPR). However, eight of the questions included in the second phase of Census 2027 bear a striking similarity to those found in the NPR guidelines from 2020.
These questions focus on personal information such as a person’s permanent address, mobile number, Aadhaar number, voter ID, passport number, details from their driving licence, nationality, and their spouse’s name. Notably, these questions were absent from the household schedule used in the 2011 Census.
The push to update the NPR in 2019 led to widespread protests, fueled by fears that it could lead to the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Ministry of Home Affairs had previously noted that creating the NPR was a step towards establishing the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).
The efforts to update the NPR were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving its future unclear. During a press briefing on March 30, Narayan was asked about the NPR exercise and reiterated that no decisions had been made, and no directives had been issued.
Despite these assurances, the inclusion of such personal questions has sparked speculation that the NPR components might be emerging through the Census 2027 process.
In addition to the eight questions related to personal details, three new inquiries have also been added to the Phase II Census 2027 questions. These ask about where respondents received their Covid-19 vaccine, how many bank accounts they have, and whether they were employed at any point in the previous year.
Overall, this means that respondents will face 11 more questions compared to the 29 questions asked during the second phase of the 2011 Census. The first phase of Census 2027, which involves houselisting, kicked off on April 1 and will run until September 30, 2026. The second phase is set to begin in February 2027.
