The Union home ministry has suggested that the data obtained in the coming Census 2011 needs to be kept out of the ambit of the Right to Information Act. The Registrar-General of India (RGI), the body under the home ministry entrusted with the task of generating data on population statistics, has said that the "confidentiality" guar anteed to the informants by the Census Act in respect of census information has been "partly eroded" after the enactment of the RTI Act of 2005. "This position will need to be restored in the interest of quality of census data," it has said. Previously, organisations like the Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing have asked to be exempted from the ambit of the RTI Act citing security concerns. The office of the RGI has told the Union home ministry that such a step is necessary to maintain the legal authority of the Census Act. "Section 15 of the Census Act guarantees confidentiality to the informants in respect of the census information," it stated, adding, "But it has been partly eroded after the enactment of the RTI Act, 2005." The RGI goes on to say that it itself is a "legal authority" on census data concerning both housing and population censuses. "The duties and responsibilities of those forming part of the census hierarchy have been laid down in the Census Rules of 1990," it said, adding that "cent-per cent coverage and accuracy of data have been the principle concerns at each census". The RGI is also taking lessons from the Centre's recent experience with delimitation of constituencies before the Census 2011 exercise is carried out. "In light of the recent experience of delimitation of constituencies, and in view of the demands for populations of usual residents in a geographical unit, be it a village or a town, it is proposed in the 2011 Census to collect additional information on those usual residents of the household who are not present in the household at the time of enumeration, but present for most of the last 12 months from the date of enumeration," it has said. However, it says that this will not include persons who "travel frequently" and "do not have a place of usual residence" since such persons would be enumerated at the place where they are found at the time of the census. The RGI has supported its contention by saying that these recommendations are "in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for the 2010 round of censuses."The RGI has raised questions about the accuracy of census data being collected in the country. The body wants the Centre to take a relook at the Census Act, saying a strong need has been felt to "amend the census rules" to provide for "greater accountability of those entrusted with the responsibility of census taking", especially in regard to "certifying the complete coverage of population in the area under their charge" as well as "the accuracy of census data". There is a need for an enabling provision in the act for appointment of special observers in the event of an exigency for independent supervision of census operations in certain areas, it said. "This need has been especially felt after the experience of the 2001 Census in which census results had to be cancelled for the first time in the history of census-taking in respect of a few sub-divisions of Senapati district of Manipur," it said. Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said, "The confidentiality guaranteed by the Census Act cannot erode the RTI Act, which says that general information like percentage of population of Hindus, Muslims and Christians in the country has to be disclosed." Mr Bhushan added that Section 8 of the RTI Act already has a provision for not disclosing private information which is not required in the public interest.