PUNE: Maharashtra will begin its door-to-door house-listing enumeration exercise from May 16 to June 14, employing a new QR code-based verification system to identify genuine census officials and curb impersonation-related fraud.
New Authentication Mechanism
Senior census officials confirmed that all enumerators and supervisors (E&S) deployed for the exercise will carry official appointment letters and identity cards issued by the charge officer. Both documents will feature embedded QR codes that citizens can scan to verify the authenticity of the personnel before sharing any household or personal information.
This initiative comes amid a surge in cyber fraud cases across India, where fraudsters have posed as government officials, police officers, and enforcement agency personnel using fake identity cards, forged documents, and digital verification requests to deceive citizens. Officials highlighted that digital arrest scams and the circulation of fake census-related messages online have raised significant concerns about impersonation-based fraud during the upcoming census exercise.
Enhancing Public Trust
"If there is any doubt or suspicion, household members can verify the visiting personnel by checking their appointment letters and identity cards. They can also scan the QR code printed on these documents to confirm authenticity," a senior census official stated. Authorities emphasized that the QR-based authentication mechanism has been designed to make the field exercise more secure, transparent, and reliable while improving public confidence in the process.
Officials added that citizens participating through the self-enumeration module will also be covered under a layered verification mechanism. In cases where households are unable to geo-tag their exact location while filling digital forms, they may tag a nearby location instead. Enumerators conducting field visits will then verify the entries physically using downloaded maps of the house-listing block (HLB) and linked self-enumeration IDs. One supervisor will oversee enumeration work across every six HLBs to minimize discrepancies during data collection.
"The QR-based verification system will reassure households and ensure that only authorized census personnel can conduct the door-to-door survey. Public trust is critical for a successful census operation," a census official remarked. Self-enumeration, geo-tagging verification, and QR-based authentication are expected to make the census process smoother while significantly reducing the possibility of fraud or fake visits.
