opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 5307 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Installation of BSNL Mobile Towers in Dindigul
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Ms. S Jothimani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5307 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## INSTALLATION OF BSNL MOBILE TOWERS IN DINDIGUL

## 5307.   MS. S JOTHIMANI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Department has any proposal to install BSNL mobile towers to improve network coverage in Kombai Panchanthangi and Ayyalur Town Panchayat and Kovilur Town Ramanathapuram Panchayat in Dindigul district;

(b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  approved  projects,  including  the  timeline  for  installation  and commissioning;

(c) whether the Government has  taken  or proposes  to  take any steps  to  improve  mobile and internet connectivity in Periyathirumangalam village, Gudalur West Panchayat in Karur district and Srirampuram Panchayat, Vedasandur Block in Dindigul district which are currently experiencing poor network coverage; and

(d) if so, the details of the measures taken or proposed including augmentation of BSNL services and timelines thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) & (b) BSNL services are already available at Ayyalur Town Panchayat and Kovilur Town Ramanathapuram Panchayat  in  Dindigul  District.  Further,  at  Kombai  Panchanthangi,  BSNL  has planned a mobile tower under 4G Saturation Project.

(c) & (d) Periyathirumangalam village, Gudalur  West Panchayat in Karur district and Srirampuram  Panchayat,  Vedasandur Block  in  Dindigul  district  are  already  covered  with  BSNL mobile services and also having broadband connectivity.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5306 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Expansion of Nuclear Power Capacity
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Dr. Alok Kumar Suman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-5306

ANSWERED ON 25/03/2026

## EXPANSION OF NUCLEAR POWER CAPACITY

## 5306.  DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) the  details  of  the  current  nuclear  power  capacity  along  with  the  reactors  under construction;
- (b) the details of safety measures adopted in this regard;
- (c) the details of the international cooperation agreements signed; and
- (d) the details of the target capacity set to be achieved by 2030?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) The  present  installed  nuclear  power  capacity  is  8.78  GW  (excluding  RAPS-1). Presently five PHWRs with a capacity of 3500 MW are under construction and eight with a capacity of 5600 MW are under pre-project activities. Four PWRs with a total capacity of 4000 MW are under construction. These projects are at various stages of implementation and are scheduled to be progressively completed by 2031-32. In addition, BHAVINI is currently commissioning a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) project at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
- (b) Highest priority is accorded to safety in all aspects of nuclear power viz. siting, design, construction,  commissioning,  and  operation.  Nuclear  power  plants  are  designed adopting  safety  principles  of  redundancy,  diversity  and  provided  fail-safe  design features  following  a  defence-in-depth  approach,  in  line  with  codes  and  guides  of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The operations are performed adopting well laid out procedures by highly qualified, trained and licensed personnel.
- (c) India  has  signed  Inter  Governmental  Agreement  (IGA)  with  18  countries  on  Civil Nuclear Co-operation for peaceful purpose.
- (d) The present target is to achieve a capacity of about 22 GW by 2031-32 by progressive completion of projects presently at various stages of implementation.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5305 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Vacant Posts in Civil Services
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Adv. Adoor Prakash

## MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5305

(ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026)

## VACANT POSTS IN CIVIL SERVICES

5305. ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  a  large  percentage  of  sanctioned  strength  of  Civil  Service  posts  are  lying  vacant presently and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government has taken any assessment of the impact of the shortage of IAS, IPS and IFS officers in the functioning of these services and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of vacant posts in each service and the measures taken by the Government to fill these vacancies?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) to (c): The details of sanctioned strength and officers in position in Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) are as under:

| Service              |   IAS |   IPS |   IFS |
|----------------------|-------|-------|-------|
| Sanctioned strength  |  6877 |  5099 |  3193 |
| Officers in position |  5577 |  4594 |  2164 |

Recruitment is a continuous process and vacancies in these services are filled on yearto-year  basis  considering  the  administrative  requirements  across  the  states  as  well  as promotion prospects and career growth available to the officers. The cadre review process of IAS, IPS, IFS, which is normally conducted every 5 years. The cadre requirements, vacancies and future functional requirements are also assessed, in consultation with the states.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5303 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Regulation of Private Operators in Nuclear Sector
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Vijay Kumar Dubey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 5303 ANSWERED ON 25/03/2026

## REGULATION OF PRIVATE OPERATORS IN NUCLEAR SECTOR

## 5303.    SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) the  manner in which the Government plans to regulate private entities now permitted to operate nuclear plants and the safety protocols established for these partnerships;
- (b) the reason for the shift to an 'exclusive operator liability' model and the manner in which it align with international nuclear conventions; and
- (c) whether the Government has received any formal proposals from domestic private firms for setting up captive nuclear power units following the passage of the Act and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) The SHANTI Act, 2025 has been enacted for the promotion and development of nuclear energy and ionising radiation for nuclear power  generation, and other  non-power applications, and for its safe and secure utilisation. The SHANTI Act allows private sector participation for setting up a nuclear facility, or to carry out activities for the production, use and disposal of nuclear energy under a license from the Central Government and Safety Authorization of the Regulatory Board, the terms and conditions of which will allow the effective control and regulation of the Government and Safety Regulator.

The framing of Rules & Regulations under the SHANTI Act, 2025 are in progress, and they will provide the implementing provisions for effective regulation of the operation of NPP including safety protocols to be followed.

- (b) The liability for nuclear damage is based on no-fault liability and prompt compensation.  The SHANTI Act aligns India's nuclear liability regime with the international liability regime. The operator's liability for nuclear damage has been graded based on the type of nuclear installation.  The  Act  has  set  the  stage  for  a  future  in  which  nuclear  energy  becomes  the backbone of India's development.
- (c) The SHANTI Act, 2025 has received the assent of the President of India and has been Gazette Notified by Ministry of Law & Justice on 21st December, 2025.  However, framing of rules and regulations of the act are currently in progress.  Hence, provision for participation of private sector entities in nuclear power generation will only take effect once the exercise of framing of rules and regulations of the SHANTI Act is completed.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5298 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Green Energy Corridor Phase‑III Project in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Appalanaidu Kalisetti, Dr. Byreddy Shabari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5298

ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## GREEN ENERGY CORRIDOR PHASE - III PROJECT IN ANDHRA PRADESH

## 5298.SHRI APPALANAIDU KALISETTI DR. BYREDDY SHABARI

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether a proposal for the Green Energy Corridor Phase-Ill project in Andhra Pradesh intended to evacuate  renewable  energy  from  solar  and  pumped  storage  plants  to  the  State  grid  has  been submitted to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) or Ministry;
- (b) if so, the details of date of submission and the details of the proposed transmission capacity (MW), line length (km) and number of sub-stations;
- (c) whether the proposal has received any approval or clearance and if not, the reasons for delay:
- (d) whether funds have been sanctioned or allocated for the project at this stage and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the expected timeline for approval, commencement and completion once the proposal is accepted?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER

(SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

(a)  &  (b)  Intra  State  Transmission  Proposals,  including  from  the  State  of Andhra  Pradesh,  have  been submitted by State Transmission Utilities (STUs) to Central Electricity Authority (CEA) for consideration under Intra State Green Energy Corridor (GEC)-III Scheme. Proposal of Andhra Pradesh was submitted by Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APTRANSCO) to CEA vide letter dated 27.12.2024. This  proposal  includes  construction  of  7,872  ckm  of  transmission  lines  and  five  number  of  400  KV substations with 9,500 MVA capacity. This transmission system is expected to evacuate 11 GW Solar and supports 7.37 GW Pumped Storage Plant (PSP).

(c) to e) The proposals submitted by various State Transmission Utilities (STUs) for consideration under GEC-III scheme, have been technically scrutinized and vetted by CEA and forwarded to this Ministry which is under consideration.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5296 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Green Energy Corridor in Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Devesh Shakya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5296

ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## GREEN ENERGY CORRIDOR IN UTTAR PRADESH

## 5296. SHRI DEVESH SHAKYA

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Green Energy Corridor includes the Etah and Kasganj districts of Uttar Pradesh and if so, the details of approved transmission lines in kilometres and the capacity of installed or approved substations thereof;
- (b) the details of funds approved, released and utilised so far for the said projects and the percentage of physical progress made;
- (c) whether the works are progressing as per the stipulated timeline, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether the said scheme has improved grid integration of renewable energy and the quality of power supply in the districts of Etah and Kasganj and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER

## (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a)    The  Ministry  of  New  and  Renewable  Energy  (MNRE)  is  implementing  Intra-State  Green  Energy Corridor Phase- II Scheme in the state of Uttar Pradesh. However, in this Scheme, there are no sanctioned project in Etah and Kasganj districts of Uttar Pradesh.

(b) to (d) Does not arise.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5294 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Nuclear Power Projects
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Kalyan Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-5294 ANSWERED ON  25/03/2026

## NUCLEAR POWER PROJECTS

## 5294.   SHRI KALYAN BANERJEE

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) the present status of various nuclear power projects based on pressurized heavy water reactors (phwrs), fast breeder reactors (fbrs), pressurized water reactors (pwrs) and fuel cycle  facilities  which  are  under  construction  and  commission  with  power  supply capacity;
- (b) whether it is a fact that eastern India has no atomic power project even though Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal has vast reserve of thorium; and
- (c) the reasons for not setting up such power projects even though sufficient land has been provided  to  the  Nuclear  Power  Corporation  of  India  (NPCIL)  by  West  Bengal Government for setup VVER-1000 power reactors thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) Presently five PHWRs with a capacity of 3500 MW are under construction and eight with a capacity of 5600 MW are under pre-project activities.  Four PWRs with a total capacity of 4000 MW are under construction.  These projects are at various stages and are scheduled to be progressively completed by 2031-32.

BHAVINI is currently commissioning a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) project at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

Two  integrated nuclear recycle facilities  namely INRP,  Tarapur  and  FRFCF, Kalpakkam are under construction with provisions for reprocessing, waste management and fuel fabrication for Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) and Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) spent fuels respectively.

A  project  'NFC  Kota'  is  in  the  final  stages  of  commissioning  /  completion  at Rawathbhata, Rajasthan with a capacity to manufacture 500 TPY fuel bundles for 700 MWe PHWR type Nuclear reactors.

- (b) There are presently no nuclear power plants located in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
- (c) The  site  at  Haripur  in  West  Bengal  was  accorded  'in  principle'  approval  by  the Government in 2009 and designated for setting up six units of 1000 MW (nominal Capacity) in cooperation with Russian Federation. The land acquisition for the project has not been initiated by the state government yet. Hence, the construction of the project could not be commenced.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5291 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Telecom Infrastructure Development Fund (TIDF)
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5291 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND (TIDF)

## 5291.   SHRI RAMASAHAYAM RAGHURAM REDDY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Telecom Infrastructure Development Fund (TIDF) has been utilized effectively to enhance telecom infrastructure, particularly in remote and hilly regions;

(b) whether there have been any discrepancies or delays in fund allocation for key projects under this scheme;

- (c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the  steps  taken/being  taken  to  ensure  timely  and  efficient  use  of  funds  for  infrastructure development?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) to (d) The Department does not have Telecom Infrastructure Development Fund (TIDF) to enhance  telecom  infrastructure,  particularly  in  remote  and  hilly  regions.  However,  as  per  the Telecommunication Act, 2023, the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) has the mandate to support universal service by promoting access and delivery of telecommunication service in underserved rural, remote and urban areas of the country.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5287 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: SHGs under DAY-NRLM
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. D K Aruna

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5287 ANSWERED ON 24/03/2026

## SHGs UNDER DAY-NRLM

5287. Smt. D K Aruna:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the details and total number of rural households mobilised into Self Help Groups (SHGs) under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) as on December 2025 in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States; and
- (b)
- the other steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI)

- (a): In Telangana, a total of 48,20,573 rural households have been mobilised  into  4,42,979  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs),  while  in  Andhra Pradesh, a total of 90,75,289 rural households have been mobilised into 8,55,600 SHGs.
- (b): Both  the  States  have  achieved  saturation  in  mobilisation  of households into SHGs. Thereafter, the focus under DAY-NRLM has been on strengthening these SHGs through continuous credit linkage with banks and provision of interest subvention to ensure affordable access to finance, along with expanding financial inclusion services such  as  insurance,  pensions  and  digital  transactions.  Emphasis  is also laid on intensive training and capacity building of SHG members to enhance  their  managerial and entrepreneurial skills, while promoting diversified farm and non-farm livelihood activities, including support for micro-enterprises and value chain development. Efforts are also made to facilitate market linkages for SHG products, improve income generation opportunities, and ensure convergence with other Government  schemes  for holistic development. In addition, periodic monitoring, handholding support and institutional strengthening at all levels are undertaken to ensure the sustainability and long-term impact of SHGs.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5283 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Scrap Processing Centres and their Capacity
Ministry: STEEL
Asked by: Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF STEEL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5283

FOR ANSWER ON 24.03.2026

## SCRAP PROCESSING CENTRES AND THEIR CAPACITY

5283.  SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN:

Will the Minister of STEEL be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  companies  sanctioned  under  the  Specialty  Steel  PLI  Scheme including  the  details of  total investment  made therein  and the additional production capacity thereof;
- (b) the details of the reduction in import dependency of steel;
- (c)  the  number of registered centres and their scrap processing capacity under the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy;
- (d) the details of the electric arc furnace capacity; and
- (e) the details of the reduction reported in import of scraps?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE          (SHRI BHUPATHIRAJU SRINIVASA VARMA) MINISTRY OF STEEL

- (a) The  Production  Linked  Incentive  (PLI)  Scheme  has  44  projects  from  19 companies in the first round (PLI 1.0), 42 projects from 25 companies in the second round (PLI 1.1), and 85 projects from 60 companies in the third round (PLI 1.2) are participating. The committed investment across all three rounds is ₹55,993 crore, out of which ₹ 23,827 crore has been made so far. The production achieved under the scheme is 2.73 million tonnes of specialty steel.
- (b) During  2025-26  (April-February),  finished  steel  imports  were  5.62  million tonnes, reflecting a decline of 37.4% over the corresponding period of the previous year.
- (c) The Steel Scrap Recycling Policy, 2019 provides a framework for coordination among Ministries to promote recycling of ferrous scrap.
- (d) Electric arc furnace capacity in the country is 43.98 million tonnes.
- (e) During  2025-26  (April-February),  scrap  imports  were  7.047  million  tonnes, registering a decline of 20% over the corresponding period of the previous year.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5278 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Census 2027 Safeguards
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri G Kumar Naik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5278

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24 TH  MARCH, 2026/ CHAITRA 3, 1948 (SAKA)

CENSUS 2027 SAFEGUARDS

5278.    SHRI G KUMAR NAIK:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to conduct the forthcoming Population Census using digital and technology-enabled methods, and if so, the nature of personal data proposed to be collected;
- (b) whether the Government has clarified if Census data will remain strictly isolated  for  statistical  purposes  or  whether  it  is  proposed  to  be  linked, directly  or  indirectly,  with  databases  such  as  Aadhaar,  the  National Population Register, voter rolls or any other administrative datasets, and if so, the legal basis and safeguards governing such linkage;
- (c) whether there exist legal provisions to ensure that Census data is not shared  for  citizenship  verification,  profiling  or  surveillance  purposes  and whether independent security audits are mandated and the details thereof; and
- (d)  the  steps  being  taken  to  ensure  federal  participation  in  the  Census process, including real-time access for State Governments to enumeration data  during  collection,  public  dashboards,  independent  verification  of Census data?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a): Yes,  Sir.  Census  2027  is  planned  to  be  conducted  through  digital means.  Apart  from  collection  of  Census  data  by  the  Enumerators  using Mobile App,   provision   for  Self-Enumeration   by    the   respondents   has

also been made for the first time through a web portal. A web Portal has been developed to manage and monitor various activities of Census 2027. Questions for the first phase of Census 2027 have been notified. Questions of  second  phase  of  Census  are  notified  in  due  course  before  conduct  of second phase. While information on housing condition, household particulars, amenities available and assets possessed by the household are collected  in  the  first  phase  of  the  Census,  information  on  demographic, socio-economic,  education,  migration  etc.  of  the  individual  members  are collected in the second phase of the Census.

(b) and (c): Census  is  conducted  under  the  provisions  of  the  Census  Act 1948 and Census Rules, 1990 and amendments made thereunder. Individual data collected in the Census is kept confidential and only aggregated data at various administrative levels is published.

(d): States and Union Territories play a pivotal role in smooth conduct of the  Census,  as  various  field-level  activities  including  collection  of  data, verification, monitoring and supervision, review of progress are carried out by Census functionaries appointed and deployed by the respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations under the provisions of Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules,1990.

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