What happened: Jairam Ramesh’s allegations on Census 2027 Population Enumeration questionnaire changes
Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Census 2027 Population Enumeration questionnaire expansion has a deeper “nefarious purpose.” Ramesh’s concerns focus on new or expanded questionnaire items, especially questions on religion and questions about the date of birth and birthplace of respondents’ parents.
Jairam Ramesh also alleged a problem in the methodology for collecting caste data. Ramesh argued that the questionnaire uses different response approaches for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) respondents compared with respondents who are not SC/ST.
Jairam Ramesh further raised confidentiality concerns. Ramesh argued that expanding the scope of data collection, including additional “micro questions” related to sensitive personal details, could undermine confidentiality protections attached to census data.
Background and earlier position: caste response format and confidentiality concerns
Jairam Ramesh’s caste-related criticism is about the response format used for the caste variable. Ramesh claimed that Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) respondents can select caste from a pre-set list, while respondents who are not SC/ST must type their caste name in an open field. Ramesh argued that this difference can reduce the credibility of census caste data.
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- THE GIST (summary box for the explainer)