India likely to begin delayed Census in September

The much delayed India’s Census (an annual decadal exercise) is likely to kick off in September 2024 as per media reports.

• The census was due in 2021 and was delayed by at least three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The census will take at least 18 months to be carried out and the Union government hopes to release the findings by March 2026.

New Expected Features in the Census

• The new census is expected to have some features that will distinguish it from the older ones.
  • Digital Census: it will be the First digital Census exercise using mobile phones and applications with self-enumeration options.
  • Inclusive:  The information on families headed by a member of the Transgender Community and family members will be gathered.
    • Previously, there was a separate column for men and women only
  • Inclusion of caste categories: There are talks about including the ‘Other Backward Class’ category as well besides ‘Scheduled Caste’ and ‘Scheduled Tribe’

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About Census

• The Indian Census is the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world which forms the most credible source of information on the country’s demographic, economic, social, and cultural profile at a specific point in time 
• Source of Information: Demography (Population characteristics), Economic Activity, Literacy and Education, Housing & Household Amenities, Urbanization, Fertility and Mortality, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Language, Religion, Migration, Disability etc.
• Conducted by: The decennial Census is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Until 1951, the Census Organisation was set up on an ad-hoc basis for each Census.
• Legal Status:
  • Constitutional Status: The population census is a Union subject under Article 246 of the  Constitution, listed at serial number 69 of the seventh schedule of the constitution.
  • The Census of India Act of 1948: The Act provides the legal framework for carrying out the Census
    • The Constitution nor the Act provides the frequency and periodicity to conduct the census exercise. There is, therefore, no Constitutional or legal requirement that a Census has to be done every 10 years. 
• Origin: The Census exercise was carried out for the first time in a synchronised manner in 1881 after a trail exercise in 1872 under Viceroy Lord Mayo
  • Since the the Census exercise has been conducted every 10 years till the 2021 census was postponed ( first time in the 150-year history of India’s census operations)
• Phases:  The Census is essentially a two-step process involving a house-listing and numbering exercise phase followed by the actual population enumeration phase. 
  • Houselisting and Housing Census: It systematically list out all the structures, houses and households throughout the country for preparation of a sound frame for conduct of the Population Enumeration.
    • In addition to collecting data on characteristics of the house, information on availability of certain amenities and assets to the households were also collected in the first phase. 
  • Population Enumeration: It is conducted in the 2nd whereby every person residing within India’s territory are enumerated and her/his individual particulars are collected on various socio-economic and demographic parameters like age, sex, literacy, religion, SC/ST status, disability, languages known, economic activity status and migration etc.
• Process Followed: 
  • Questions and Forms: Census data is taken by visiting each and every household and gathering particulars by asking questions and filling up census forms.
  • Confidential Information: The information collected during the process is confidential. In fact, this information is not even accessible to the courts of law.
  • Transportation to Data Processing Centers: The forms are transported to data processing centres located at 15 cities across the country.
  • Intelligent Character Recognition Software (ICR): This technology came in India in Census 2001 and has become the benchmark for censuses all around the globe.
  • Scanning and Extraction of Data: This involves the scanning of the census forms at high speed and extracting the data automatically using computer software.

Need for Timely Census

• Credibility: A comprehensive and detailed government data is critical since alternative sources of data are either unavailable or unreliable.
• Wide Usage: A census data is being used for a wide range of activities like, it is used by governments for urban planning and deciding federal redistribution, while businesses use the data for information on consumer characteristics and for demand forecasting
• Assess changing trends in population: The Census Data is used by researchers and demographers to assess population growth and trends to develop estimates
• For Public Governance: Governments use it for administration, planning, and legislation, as well as management and assessment of numerous programmes.
• Delimitation/reservation of Constituencies Exercise: Parliamentary/Assembly/Panchayats and other Local Bodies Delimitation is based on population data gathered during the Census. 

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