The delay in the census means that the 2011 census data will continue to be used. A census is when the state connects with each individual and it would be difficult to hide the data. The second-order information ascertained by age, sex, economic status, religion, and languages spoken is a wealth of findings and provides avenues for planning and solving problems and rectifying deficiencies. There is an assessment of various schemes and programs of the government. What is the status of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana? How many toilets built under Swachh Bharat are working? What is the condition of piped water supply in the houses? Thousands of such questions can be answered when we analyze the granular data of the census.
- Dr. Satyawan Saurabh
Census provides information about the size, distribution, socio-economic, demographic, and other characteristics of a country’s population. The census was first started in 1872 under the British Viceroy Lord Mayo. It helped in formulating new policies, and government programs to uplift the areas of improvement in the community. The first synchronous census in India was conducted in 1881. Since then, the census has been conducted continuously once every ten years. India has had a tradition of conducting a national census every 10 years for more than a century. It is one of the very few countries in the world, not only developing countries, that have upheld and maintained this sacred tradition.
Research using India’s census data has yielded thousands of doctorates, new insights into historical policies (both blunders and successes), and aided various sectors and regions, besides providing a reliable economic history of the nation. Also provided. The decennial census not only records growth in population, households, and family units but also gives detailed information on the distribution of age, literacy, fertility, and migration. The responsibility of conducting the decennial census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The census is one of the most reliable sources of information such as economic activity, literacy and education, housing and household amenities, urbanization, fertility and mortality, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes. The first census of India was conducted in 1872, which was conducted non-synchronously in different parts of the country. After that, India regularly conducted its decennial census from 1881 to 2011. What does the constitution say about the census? Census data will be used for the delimitation of constituencies, used to determine the quantum of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It does not specify what should be the periodicity of the census. The Census Act, of 1948 provides the legal background for several activities related to the census without mentioning anything about its periodicity. It says: “The Central Government may announce its intention to take a census whenever it considers it necessary or desirable to do so, and thereupon the census shall be taken”.
Census can provide population data for every village and town in the country. Sample surveys can provide reliable data on social and demographic indicators only at higher geographic levels. The census continues to provide data on population characteristics, housing, and amenities. Census data is used to determine the number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Parliament, state legislatures, local bodies, and government services. Surveys can be used to find out how many villages have a literacy rate of less than 75% or which tehsils have a low percentage of people with a protected water supply. In the case of Panchayats and Municipal bodies, the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is based on their proportion in the population.
There is no other source that can provide this information. The delay in the census means that the 2011 census data will continue to be used. This means that either too many or too few seats are being reserved, despite rapid changes in the composition of the population over the last decade. The rural-urban distribution of the population is changing rapidly over the years. For example, as a result of epidemics, adults and the elderly died relatively more than children. This will give an indirect estimate of the number of deaths. It promises to count every Indian. A census is when the state connects with every person and it would be difficult to hide or hide the data.The second-order information ascertained by age, sex, economic status, religion, and languages spoken is a wealth of findings and provides avenues for planning and solving problems and rectifying deficiencies. The sharp decline in the sex ratio (between the 1961 and 1971 censuses) alerted Indians to how pre- and post-natal factors were reflecting ‘son bias’ and prompting people to kill born and unborn girls. India desperately needs accurate information about migrants. A migrant is defined in the census as a person who works at a place other than the place of birth. How many migrants are there? How many seasonal and how long term? The Covid lockdown exposed millions (or perhaps crores) of people who were migrant urban workers and had to walk long distances back to their villages on foot. Only a proper and updated census can throw light on the true migrant picture. There is an assessment of various schemes and programs of the government. What is the status of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana? How many toilets built under Swachh Bharat are working? What is the condition of piped water supply in the houses? Thousands of such questions can be answered when we analyze the granular data of the census. Census is not a substitute for government audit or social audit. But since its data is authentic and verifiable, it can throw an effective spotlight and act as a tool to ensure accountability from the government. The central government says that the data of the National Population Register (NPR) will be updated during the census. It is advisable to separate the two and separate the census from a politically sensitive issue.
This will help in completing the census at the earliest and maintaining the credibility of the data. The first census after 2026 will be used for the delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies and the apportionment of parliamentary seats among states. The distribution of seats in the parliament may change due to disparities in the rate of growth among the states. That census is likely to be more politically organized.
