logo
Preparation for digital data collection, caste enumeration on: MoS Nityanand Rai

Preparation for digital data collection, caste enumeration on: MoS Nityanand Rai

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday announced that preparations for Census 2027 have started, with a two-day conference of Directors of Census Operations held earlier this month to discuss the roadmap. The ministry confirmed that the census will be conducted in two phases and will include digital data collection as well as caste enumeration.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed that a two-day conference was held in the national capital on July 3 and 4. The event was attended by Directors of Census Operations, senior officials from the Directorates of Census Operations, and officers from the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India.
The Minister added that the conference focused on the roadmap for the upcoming Census and related activities. Key topics discussed included finalisation of the administrative unit framework, data collection through mobile applications, management and monitoring via the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal, self-enumeration, training of census personnel, and other related matters.
Rai also pointed out that the preparation for Census 2027 started with the publication of gazette notification dated June 16, 2025 expressing the intent of the Government to conduct a Population Census. The Central government earlier last month announced that the Population Census-2027 will be conducted in two phases, and for the first time, it will also include enumeration of castes.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Decode Politics: Kabutarkhanas, demolition, and an elephant named Mahadevi. Why Jains are unhappy with BJP
Decode Politics: Kabutarkhanas, demolition, and an elephant named Mahadevi. Why Jains are unhappy with BJP

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

Decode Politics: Kabutarkhanas, demolition, and an elephant named Mahadevi. Why Jains are unhappy with BJP

In the past six months, tensions between the Jain community and the Maharashtra government have escalated sharply following a series of actions such as the demolition of a century-old temple, a crackdown on pigeon-feeding practices, and a court-ordered relocation of a temple elephant. Maharashtra, home to the largest Jain population in India, has seen frequent street protests in which the community has accused the administration of being insensitive to its religious traditions. The BJP, long seen as a natural ally of Jains, has been actively engaged in damage control, clarifying that the actions stem from judicial orders, not anti-Jain sentiment. How influential is the Jain community? According to the 2011 Census, Maharashtra has 14 lakh Jains, accounting for 32% of Jains in the country, although they make up only 1.25% of the state's population. Their strongest presence is in Mumbai (5.4%), Mumbai Suburban (3.7%), and Aurangabad (0.8%). Despite their small size, Jains punch above their weight politically. The Maharashtra Assembly has seven MLAs from the community (2.43%), six of whom are from the BJP, with the seventh being part of the BJP-led alliance. The Jain-BJP alliance is seen as strategic, with the community historically offering the party both financial backing and electoral support. Why are Jains unhappy? The flashpoint came in April, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished parts of a Digambar Jain temple in Vile Parle, citing illegal construction. The action followed a city civil court order that denied the temple trust an extension of interim protection. On April 19, thousands of Jains staged a silent protest march to the BMC's K-East ward office in Andheri East, demanding accountability. The Maharashtra State Minority Commission, led by a BJP activist, condemned the demolition as 'premature' and called for better consultation with the community. Another point of friction was the government's move to shut down kabutarkhanas or pigeon-feeding enclosures that hold spiritual significance for Jains as a symbol of 'jeev daya (compassion for all life)'. On July 3, during a Legislative Council session, minister Uday Samant announced the closure of 51 kabutarkhanas in Mumbai, citing public health concerns. The BMC followed with a citywide enforcement drive, fining individuals and shutting down enclosures. The Bombay High Court on July 31 directed FIRs to be filed against those 'illegally' feeding pigeons despite the ban. On August 2, all kabutarkahanas, including a famous one in Dadar, were sealed with grey tarpaulin, marking a symbolic loss for the community. In another case that sparked protests from the community, a 36-year-old elephant named Mahadevi, housed at the Jain Math in the village Nandani in Kolhapur for over 30 years, was relocated to the Vantara Elephant Sanctuary in Gujarat by court order. The decision was based on a High-Powered Committee report that, following a PETA complaint, found Mahadevi to be in poor health. After the Supreme Court upheld the order on July 28, protests erupted in Nandani and Kolhapur, with thousands marching to the Collectorate demanding her return, citing religious and emotional ties. How has the BJP responded? Fully aware of the community's growing frustrations, the BJP has been working to calm the storm. After the temple demolition, BJP leaders joined protests and solidarity marches. BJP leaders such as minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, MLA Parag Alavani, and corporator Murji Patel took part in the protests. The Maharashtra State Minority Commission, headed by BJP activist Pyare Khan, even called the demolition 'criminal'. In response to outrage over the pigeon-feeding ban, Lodha wrote to the BMC, urging a humane, regulated solution. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday held a meeting where he spoke against the immediate closure of the kabutarkhanas and expressed the possibility of formulating rules on a specific time to feed the pigeons. Taking note of the public sentiment surrounding the elephant in Kolhapur, Fadnavis said his administration would file a review petition in the Supreme Court to bring it back. 'It is a fact that the community is angry. We have historically been aligned with the BJP and it is but natural that the community will feel that it is getting the rough end of the stick. While we do defend the BJP as its office-bearers, we do sense that there is hostility at least for now against the party,' said a middle-level BJP functionary from the community. However, on both the temple demolition and the pigeon-feeding ban, BJP officials have pointed to court directives, suggesting the government was simply following judicial orders and not targeting Jain traditions. 'The actions of the government do not stem from any hostility of the BJP towards the Jain community. All these instances have taken place due to court orders. The government stands firmly with the community and, hopefully, an amicable solution will be found,' said BJP Jain Cell's president Sandeep Bhandari.

Parliament extends President's Rule in Manipur by six months
Parliament extends President's Rule in Manipur by six months

Indian Express

time2 hours ago

  • Indian Express

Parliament extends President's Rule in Manipur by six months

Parliament on Tuesday approved a statutory resolution to extend President's Rule in Manipur for another six months beyond August 13. The resolution, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last week, was approved by the Rajya Sabha, amid uproar by Opposition members over the issue of electoral rolls revision in Bihar. As Opposition MPs continued their protests on SIR, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said it was a 'constitutional obligation' to pass the resolution. 'It's a statutory resolution. All of us, as MPs, have to follow constitutional provisions. These have a time limit within which it has to be disposed of…' Harivansh said. He then asked YSRCP member Subhash Chandra Bose Pilli to speak on the resolution. Opposition MPs however started raising slogans against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls exercise with TMP MPs raising slogans while standing next to the YSRCP member. BJD MP Muzibulla Khan said, 'When Manipur law and order situation was bad, Article 356 was imposed. Today, the situation of law and order in Odisha is bad…' 'Double engine government in Manipur failed…. Has the situation improved after so many months of President's Rule or not? Minister should inform us… The Centre should take responsibility, removing an elected government and imposing President's Rule repeatedly is also not good,' he said. Moving the resolution for passage in the House, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said a rift was formed between two communities in Manipur due to a court order. 'A rift was created between two communities in Manipur due to an order of the High Court related to a dispute on reservations. Those who say it is religious violence are wrong…' Rai said amid continued uproar by Opposition MPs. Rai also said Home Minister Amit Shah had undertaken a tour of violence- affected areas in Manipur. 'He (Shah) met high level officials, security forces, civil society members…' Rai said, claiming that the northeast has witnessed widespread development under the Narendra Modi-led government. He also said since the President's Rule was imposed in Manipur, only one incident of violence has been reported. The Rajya Sabha later approved the resolution with a voice vote. The House also passed another resolution by voice vote that sought to amend the Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. The resolution was moved by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary. Manipur was put under President's Rule in February this year after Chief Minister N Biren Singh stepped down, nearly two years after the ethnic conflict began in the state between the valley-based Meitei community and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo group of communities.

No directives to make Hindi mandatory in official communications: Govt
No directives to make Hindi mandatory in official communications: Govt

Hindustan Times

time2 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

No directives to make Hindi mandatory in official communications: Govt

The government has not issued any directives to make Hindi mandatory in official communications, central services or educational institutions, Lok Sabha was informed Tuesday. Rai was responding to a question seeking to know whether the government has issued any directives making Hindi mandatory.(Sansad TV) Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said this in response to a written question from DMK MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy, seeking to know whether the government has issued any directives making Hindi mandatory. "No, sir," the minister responded. Replying to a separate question from DMK MP Matheswaran VS seeking to know the funds spent on the promotion of Hindi since 2014, the minister provided data that showed ₹736.11 crore has been incurred from the budget allocated to the Department of Official Language between 2014-15 and 2024-25.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store