Census rules tightened in MP, 3-year jail for false info:Staff cannot force women to disclose names, Home Department issues guidelines

In Madhya Pradesh, the countdown for the upcoming census is set to begin soon. The state Home Department has been designated as the nodal agency to oversee the entire process and has issued notifications for census staff. According to the guidelines, if any person provides false information to enumerators or supervisors during the census, they may face up to three years of imprisonment along with a provision for fine. However, census officials cannot force disclosure of names of female family members if someone refuses to provide them. Answering questions is the responsibility of citizens The Home Department stated that authorised census officers can ask all questions prescribed by the Central Government. It will be the duty of every citizen to respond, and refusal to share basic information will not be allowed. Census officers cannot be prevented from entry As per the notification, no person can prevent census officials from entering their house, courtyard, vessel, or any other place, except in areas that are traditionally restricted. Officials also cannot be stopped from recording necessary data. The department has warned that obstruction of census work or providing incorrect information may lead to legal action, including a fine of up to ₹1,000 and imprisonment of up to three years. Staff from multiple departments will be deployed To ensure smooth conduct of the census, the state government will deploy staff from departments including revenue, police, urban bodies, panchayats, and education. Rights to verify documents and obtain information Officials appointed for the census will be authorised to collect information, verify documents, and carry out census-related duties effectively within their jurisdiction. They may also inspect relevant records and gather required data from individuals. 29 Columns in Census Form, Only SC-ST Details Earlier, the census form had 29 columns, including details like name, address, occupation, education, employment, migration, and limited category data for SC and ST communities. Additional columns may now be included for caste enumeration. Act will have to be amended for counting castes The Census Act, 1948 currently provides for enumeration of SC and ST populations. Inclusion of OBC data would require an amendment, which could bring data on around 2,650 OBC communities. As per the 2011 census, there were 1,270 SC and 748 ST communities, with SC population at 16.6% and ST at 8.6%. Socio-economic census was conducted in 2011, data not released During the Manmohan Singh government, a socio-economic and caste census was conducted in 2011 by multiple ministries, including Rural Development, Urban Development, and Home Affairs. However, the complete data was never made public, except limited SC-ST household figures available on the Rural Development Ministry website.