False data or dissent during census visit may attract legal action

PUNE: Providing false information or refusing to share census details may invite legal action, census officials have said, reiterating that participation in the exercise is mandatory under the Census Act, 1948. Door-to-door house listing began on May 16 in the state and authorities stressed strict compliance with legal provisions.Officials said that under Section 8 of the Census Act, 1948, individuals are legally bound to answer the 33 notified questions truthfully and to the best of their knowledge. “Refusing to provide information or giving incorrect details is an offence under the Act,” they said. Any person who does not cooperate with census officials or refuses to answer questions may face legal action under the law.As per Section 9 of the Census Act the head of the household has to permit access and affixing of numbers on the house.Officials said the self-enumeration phase of the upcoming census has been completed in Maharashtra, with households submitting details through the digital platform ahead of field verification.The self-enumeration process will improve data accuracy and reduce the workload during the upcoming door-to-door enumeration phase of the nationwide exercise. However, those who could not complete the process will be covered through house visits by enumerators, officials saidMore than 11 lakh households across Maharashtra have completed self-enumeration between May 1 and May 15, according to data released by the Registrar General and Census Directorate. Pune district recorded the highest number of self-enumerated households in the state with 1,53,568 households completing the online process.Officials said the strong response from urban districts reflected increasing digital adoption and awareness about the census process. Among other districts, Nagpur recorded 37,534 completed self-enumerations.Heads of households that have completed the process online must share their self-enumeration ID — an 11-digit number beginning with the letter H — with enumerators during field visits to facilitate verification and completion of data collection.