The Inevitable Digital Census
I recently read that India is poised to process its next Census data within an astonishing nine months, a feat made possible by leveraging technology and mobile applications. This is a monumental leap from the years it traditionally took. It’s a development that feels both revolutionary and, to me, entirely predictable. The relentless march of technology into every corner of our lives was bound to reshape something as fundamental as a national headcount.
This isn't just about efficiency; it's about a fundamental shift in governance and data-driven policymaking. For years, I have written about the unstoppable force of technology and the need to embrace it, rather than resist it. This move by the government is a powerful affirmation of that belief.
A Thought I Shared Years Ago
The core idea here resonates deeply with what I've been discussing for a long time. Back in 2017, while reflecting on privacy and data in my blog "Seeing AI through Google Glass ?", I pointed out that the march of technology is unstoppable. I had predicted that our devices would become increasingly capable of capturing and sharing vast amounts of information. At the time, I even cited Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen (jared.cohen@gs.com)’s 2013 book, “The New Digital Age,” where they astutely noted, “Individuals will still have some discretion over what they share from their devices, but it will be IMPOSSIBLE to control what others capture and share.”
Seeing the Census go digital feels like a validation of that foresight. This isn't just a corporate phenomenon; it is now a cornerstone of national administration. The debate is no longer about whether we should digitize such processes, but how we manage the immense responsibility that comes with it. The very principles of data security and ethical use that I championed in my writings on the Digital Data Protection Bill are now more critical than ever.
From Prediction to Reality
The transition to a mobile-app-based census is a powerful tool for societal good, promising more accurate data for better allocation of resources and more informed public policy. However, this repository of personal information is also a tremendous liability if not protected with the highest standards of security and privacy.
We must ensure that the framework governing this data is as sophisticated as the technology used to collect it. The speed is impressive, but the true success of this initiative will be measured by the trust the citizens of India can place in the system's integrity.
We are finally seeing the large-scale, state-level implementation of technologies I have been writing about for nearly a decade. The future is no longer on the horizon; it is here, in the hands of census enumerators and on the servers that will hold the digital blueprint of our nation.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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