New Delhi [India], June 8 : The first phase of the Census in Delhi, which involved self-enumeration, was conducted smoothly, while the second phase, scheduled from May 16 to June 14, has now reached its final stage, officials said on Monday.
Jitendra Gouda, Deputy Director, Directorate of Census Operations, stated, "The self-enumeration in Delhi took place from May 1 to May 15, during which the general public provided their information on the portal at their own level. Now, the door-to-door visits are being conducted from May 16 to June 14 during this first phase. We have almost reached the final stage now."
While praising authorities for their extraordinary contribution in the ongoing census, he said, "The district authorities have managed this to a great extent. They have held meetings at their level and, where required, even deployed Civil Defence authorities to ensure every effort is made to collect information.
Gouda assured citizens that the process is fully secure under the Census Act of 1948. "The information collected from the general public is completely safe. The Act also specifies that your information will not be shared with any other agency. The data is never published at an individual level; it is always published in aggregate form," he said.
Addressing concerns that the Census might be linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls or Voter ID cards, Gouda clarified, "This confusion is completely wrong. In the Census, we do not even ask for documents. We neither request nor require any documents when enumerators visit homes. Any belief that SIR, Aadhaar, or Voter ID will be affected is entirely false. Census and SIR are completely separate exercises."
He further explained the methodology, stating, "In the Census, we follow the concept of 'Normally Resident.' We count individuals wherever they normally reside. We do not follow the concept of 'Permanent Resident,' and domicile status or permanent residence is not considered for this purpose."