Census fieldwork contradicts government data, enumerators asked to revisit, review data
With the ongoing Census study revealing data that differs from government records, particularly on issues such as open defecation and household access to electricity or cooking gas connections, enumerators say they have been asked by senior officials to revisit households and correct “inconsistencies” in the data.
Scores of enumerators, mostly government teachers and anganwadi workers, had taken to social media to report discrepancies and flag glaring inequality and poverty on the ground. Some even complained that residents were reluctant to share information for fear of having their government benefits canceled.
On June 2, the Director of Census Operations (DCO), Rajasthan, wrote to all district officials that “some inconsistencies have been noticed during the analysis of field data collected so far.” In the letter accessed HinduDisbursing Officers were instructed to “verify block level data through the CMMS (Census Management and Monitoring System) portal in accordance with the actual field situation.”
The letter stated that an inconsistency in data collection was noticed largely on a few issues. The letter specifically pointed out the “open defecation” category for most households; wood, fertilizer pulp, crop residue, kerosene, etc., which are recorded in households with LPG connections, especially in urban areas. fuel usage; In the drinking water section, the “tap water from purified source” option is not registered in most households. River, pond, dam, canal, spring, lake, warehouse, etc. It was stated that the “on-site” option cannot be valid for drinking water sources, and the “near the facility” option should be carefully marked.
It also addressed the choice of the “no lighting” option and showed that internet access is possible even when there is no phone (basic phone/smartphone/landline) at home.
When contacted, a senior Census official said: “The letter has been issued to ensure that actual field conditions are recorded without any ambiguity or lack of understanding and without any communication gap between the household and the enumerator. Discrepancies found after field verification by Officers-in-Charge, Sub-Divisional Enumerators, Chief Census Officers, District Coordinators, Population Directorate Officers etc. should be addressed. The quality of data/information should not be affected by: ambiguity or lack of clarity or bias idea.”
As of August 13, 2025, out of 5,86,944 villages, 5,66,068 have been declared ODF by the Union government.
An enumerator from Rajasthan said: Hindu On condition of anonymity, he said, “In the mobile application, if a household has a tin roof, our superiors ask us to change it to concrete. Are we supposed to lie? Likewise, if there is no toilet in the house and the residents defecate in the open air, we are told to check whether there is a toilet nearby, or even a neighbor’s or relative’s toilet that they use occasionally, or even a public urinal. The entrance can then be changed from ‘open defecation’ to ‘open defecation’. Access to the toilet.”
Another census taker from Uttar Pradesh said: “As government officials, we have been asked not to choose options that might make the government look bad.”
Enumerators also said they received requests from poor people to help them take advantage of government programs.
“Most households in my area of responsibility did not have basic facilities. They had no roof, door or walls. Where should we write the census household number? Residents assumed that we could help them avail government schemes and services such as LPG connections, running water, subsidized house or toilet and even pension,” said an enumerator from Uttar Pradesh.
Rekha Devi, president of the Anganwadi workers’ union in Uttarakhand, said workers were facing difficulties during the census. “There is no mobile connectivity in several villages. The government is providing mobile phone recharge worth ₹66, whereas the entire app is digital. We cannot close Anganwadi centers even for a day. How will we conduct door-to-door census along with all other duties,” asked Ms. Devi.
The census is conducted in two phases: Household Listing Operations (HLO) and Population Census.
The HLO phase, which started on April 1, is currently continuing in phases across the country. The HLO exercise, which asks 33 notified questions about housing conditions, house details, available amenities and assets owned by households, will be completed by September 30.
This is the first digital census and around 32 lakh enumerators are entering records from their personal phones into a mobile app developed by the office of the Registrar General and Commissioner of Census of India (RG&CCI).
Field operations are monitored in real time through a portal by senior officials to “oversee progress, identify gaps or delays, and ensure timely completion of activities in accordance with anticipated timelines.” To effectively manage and monitor various Census-related activities, a dedicated web-based portal called Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) has been developed.
Each enumerator is expected to cover approximately 120-150 households comprising approximately 750-800 residents.
It was published – 03 June 2026 22:14 IST
