Bhubaneswar: Even though the entire country and all government agencies have bounced back to the pre-Covid track, the Government of India is yet to take any step to conduct the crucial Census 2021.
The first synchronous Census was conducted in 1881 and thereafter it has taken place every ten years. Last Census was conducted in 2011. However, the latest Census, which was supposed to be conducted in 2021, was delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic, as per Union MoS, Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai.
In written replies given to the Parliament on different occasions, Shri Rai has said, the intent of the Government for conducting Census 2021 was notified in the Gazette of India on 28 March, 2019. Subsequently, a notification under Citizenship Rules was published in the Gazette of India on 31 July,2019 to prepare and update the Population Register along with the first phase of Census i.e. House Listing and Housing Census.
However, due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the conduct of Census 2021, updating of the National Population Register and the related field activities have been postponed until further orders, he said.
The postponement of the Census for Covid-19 is a genuine problem and welcomed by all. Now, the entire country has recovered from the pandemic and all businesses have returned to normal. However, it is wonder why the Centre is delaying the Census. Even the government officials don’t have any concrete information about it.
According to experts, the Government of India might be delaying the exercise to fulfil its hidden agenda. It is also suspected that the Centre may conduct the Census after next Lok Sabha poll, scheduled to be held in 2024.
While many States including Odisha were demanding OBC Census along with the general Census, however, the Centre denied it.
The castes and tribes which are specifically notified as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as per the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order 1950, as amended from time to time, are enumerated in the Census. The Government of India has not enumerated caste wise population other than SCs and STs in Census since independence.
For the Census of India 2021, the Government of India has approved Rs. 8754.23 crore.
In the history of Indian Census, for the first time, the Census data will be collected digitally i.e. on Mobile App in the ensuing census. Mobile Apps for collection of data and a Census Portal for management and monitoring of various Census related activities have been developed, sources said.
For the first time, a separate code directory will be provided for several questions asked in the second phase of forthcoming Census. For the questions involving descriptive/non-numeric entries, a separate Code Directory, containing possible responses and codes for each such questions, has been prepared for use by the enumerators, they said.
The Code Directory will have codes in respect of Relationship to head, Mother Tongue and Other languages known, Occupation, Nature of industry, trade or service, Birth place/Place of last residence and Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) etc.
The Census operations in India have been carried out in two phases: – i) Houselisting and Housing Census and ii) Population Enumeration. During the Houselisting and Housing Census, all buildings, Census Houses and Households are identified and systematically listed in the relevant schedules.
The Population Enumeration follows the Housing Census within a gap of six to eight months. During the second phase of census taking, each person is enumerated and her/his individual particulars like age, marital status, religion, SC/ST, mother tongue, education level, disability, economic activity, migration, fertility (for females) are collected.