Can you think of what and how the government knows about you and your family (for example ration cards and voter identity cards)? What are the sources of information for you about the government?

The government gets to know about us and our family by the census and the different I-cards issued by the government like Aadhaar and voter card. The process of registration of property also involves sharing of our information to government through government records. The government keeps the record of births, marriages and deaths and issues certificates. The government has information about our earnings, taxes and savings through pan cards and tax returns. All this information forms the database for formulating the policies.

For information about governments, reliable sources include official government websites, reputable news organizations, academic journals, and publications from think tanks etc. The Right to Information act also helps us to demand any information from the government. Live telecast of parliament sessions gives us information about the working of the government and other elected representatives.