Latest news with #CensusAct
News18
10 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Explained: What Is The Census, When Was It Last Held In India, And When Is The Next One Due?
Last Updated: Conducted every ten years, census in India is overseen by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday that the nationwide Census, which will include caste data, is set to begin on March 1, 2027. The Census will be carried out in two phases. For the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the process will commence on October 1, 2027. In April, the Centre announced the inclusion of caste data in the upcoming Census, responding to demands from the opposition. The notification indicating the intent to conduct a Population Census with the aforementioned dates will be published in the official gazette tentatively on June 16, 2025, under the provisions of section 3 of the Census Act. The census exercise, initially scheduled to begin in April 2020, was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. What Is Census? A census is a critical tool for understanding a country's demographic, social, and economic landscape. It involves the systematic collection, recording, and analysis of information about the members of a country's population. This headcount includes details such as age, gender, occupation, education, religion, language, and housing conditions. In India, the census is more than just a statistical exercise; it has significant implications for policymaking, welfare schemes, development planning, and resource allocation. It also plays a key role in shaping electoral boundaries and determining the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Parliament and state legislatures. Conducted every ten years, the Indian census is overseen by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs. India's last full census took place in 2011. This was the 15th National Census since 1872 and the seventh after Independence, recording India's population at over 1.21 billion. This marked an increase of more than 181 million people since the previous 2001 Census. The next census was initially scheduled for 2021, continuing the decade-long tradition. However, it will now be conducted starting in 2027, marking the most extended delay in the history of the Indian census. Why Has Census Been Delayed? The primary reason for the delay in the 2021 Census is the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial phase, known as the House Listing and Housing Census, along with the updation of the National Population Register (NPR), was set to begin in April 2020. However, the nationwide lockdown and public health concerns forced the government to postpone the process. Since then, several administrative and political reasons have contributed to the delay, including logistical challenges, concerns around digital data collection, and debates over the inclusion of contentious topics like caste. The government has cited technical preparedness and field-level challenges as the main reasons for the continued postponement. What Will Be Different in the Next Census? The upcoming census is expected to be India's first-ever digital census. This implies a significant shift from the traditional pen-and-paper method to the use of mobile apps and electronic devices by enumerators. Reports suggest that the government also plans to geotag every structure listed during the housing census, helping to create a comprehensive national address database. Caste Data In April, the Centre announced that the forthcoming census would include caste data. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated, 'Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes. While some states have done this well, others have conducted such surveys only from a political angle in a non-transparent way. To ensure that our social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be included in the census instead of surveys." India has so far officially gathered caste data solely for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Other caste groups, particularly Other Backward Classes (OBCs), have not been formally counted since 1931. Why Is the Census Important? Policy Planning and Implementation: Census data helps governments at all levels to plan and implement schemes related to education, health, sanitation, employment, and housing. Resource Allocation: Funds from the central government to states and districts are often based on population figures. Census data ensures that areas with higher populations receive proportionate resources. Political Representation: Census results are crucial for delimiting constituencies, ensuring fair political representation based on population shifts. Infrastructure and Urban Planning: Information on housing conditions, urbanization, and migration trends supports infrastructure development, such as transportation and smart city initiatives. Socio-Economic Research: Academics, economists, NGOs, and think tanks rely heavily on census data for research and advocacy. top videos View all International Commitments: As a member of the United Nations, India contributes to global population data and development indicators through its census. As India awaits its next census, the stakes are higher than ever for getting it right, especially with caste data also being part of the forthcoming census. tags : caste census census Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 05, 2025, 12:56 IST News explainers Explained: What Is The Census, When Was It Last Held In India, And When Is The Next One Due?
Business Standard
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Population Census-2027 to be conducted in two phases
Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that has been decided to conduct Population Census-2027 in two phases along with enumeration of castes. The reference date for Population Census - 2027 will be 00:00 hours of the first day of March, 2027. For the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00.00 hours of the first day of October, 2026. The notification for intent of conducting Population Census with the above reference dates will be published in the official gazette tentatively on 16.06.2025, as per provision of section 3 of Census Act 1948. The Census of India is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990. The last Census of India was conducted in 2011 in two phases, namely i) Phase I House Listing (HLO) (1 April to 30 September 2010) and (ii) Phase II Population Enumeration (PE) (09 February to 28 February 2011) with reference date - 00:00 hours of the first day of March 2011, except for snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for which it was conducted during 11 to 30 September 2010 with reference date as 00.00 hours of the first day of October 2010.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
India set to count its population after a six-year delay
After a six-year delay, India is finally set to count its population in a two-phase census that will conclude in 2027, the government has announced. India's decennial census is one of the world's largest administrative exercises and provides critical data for planning welfare schemes, allocating federal funds, drawing electoral boundaries and making key policy decisions. It was originally due in 2021, but has been delayed several times since. The last census was conducted in 2011. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government had initially cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the main reason but critics have questioned what has taken so long to resume the exercise. On Wednesday, India's home ministry said in a statement that the much-awaited census will be conducted in two phases, with 1 March 2027 as the reference date. For the snow-bound Himalayan regions, which includes the states of Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, and the region of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, the reference date will be 1 October 2026. It did not, however, specify when the survey would actually begin. For the first time, the government will also collect the caste details - a politically and socially sensitive issue in India - of all its citizens, the statement added. The last time caste was officially counted as part of a national census was in 1931, during British colonial rule. India's census is conducted under the Census Act, 1948, which provides a legal framework for conducting the exercise, but does not specify a fixed schedule for when the census must be conducted or when its results must be published. In 2020, India was set to begin the first phase of the census - in which housing data is collected - when the pandemic hit, following which the government postponed the exercise. In the years since, the government further delayed the exercise several times without any explanation, even as life returned to normal. Experts have spoken of the consequences this could have on the world's most populous country - such as people being excluded from welfare schemes, and the incorrect allocation of resources. "The census is not simply a count of the number of people in a country. It provides invaluable data needed to make decisions at a micro level," Professor KP Kannan, a development economist, had told the BBC in 2023. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Census: India set to count its population after a six-year delay
After a six-year delay, India is finally set to count its population in a two-phase census that will conclude in 2027, the government has decennial census is one of the world's largest administrative exercises and provides critical data for planning welfare schemes, allocating federal funds, drawing electoral boundaries and making key policy decisions. It was originally due in 2021, but has been delayed several times since. The last census was conducted in Minister Narendra Modi's government had initially cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the main reason but critics have questioned what has taken so long to resume the exercise. On Wednesday, India's home ministry said in a statement that the much-awaited census will be conducted in two phases, with 1 March 2027 as the reference date. For the snow-bound Himalayan regions, which includes the states of Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, and the region of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, the reference date will be 1 October did not, however, specify when the survey would actually begin. For the first time, the government will also collect the caste details - a politically and socially sensitive issue in India - of all its citizens, the statement added. The last time caste was officially counted as part of a national census was in 1931, during British colonial rule. India's census is conducted under the Census Act, 1948, which provides a legal framework for conducting the exercise, but does not specify a fixed schedule for when the census must be conducted or when its results must be 2020, India was set to begin the first phase of the census - in which housing data is collected - when the pandemic hit, following which the government postponed the exercise. In the years since, the government further delayed the exercise several times without any explanation, even as life returned to normal. Experts have spoken of the consequences this could have on the world's most populous country - such as people being excluded from welfare schemes, and the incorrect allocation of resources."The census is not simply a count of the number of people in a country. It provides invaluable data needed to make decisions at a micro level," Professor KP Kannan, a development economist, had told the BBC in 2023. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Next Census to conclude by March 2027, says government
The next Census exercise, to be held after a long 16-year gap, will be finished by March 1, 2027, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday (June 4, 2025). This will be the first digital Census for India, and will include caste-based details as well. The census will be conducted in two phases by February 28, 2027, and the data will have a reference date of 12 a.m. on March 1, 2027. The government has, although, not yet notified when the exercise will begin. The notification of the Centre's intention to conduct the census, and the dates of the two phases will be 'published in the official gazette tentatively on June 16 as per provision of section 3 of the Census Act 1948.' For the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date for the population count will be 12 a.m. on October 1, 2026. As per the constitutional mandate, the first census after 2026 can be used as the basis to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies. The next general election is expected to be held in 2029. India's census is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990, and will be completed in two phases: first, the house listing and housing schedule; and then, the population enumeration. Both phases usually span a period of 11 months from April 1 to February 28 the following year. This time around, caste will be enumerated in the second phase. 'A significant addition to the training manual would be the enumeration of caste. Another drop box to record the castes is likely to be added next to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) tables, the only two categories counted so far,' a senior government official said. The Hindu's Editorials The Hindu's Daily Quiz Landslide in an army camp of which State led to the death of three soldiers? Chhattisgarh Jharkhand Sikkim Mizoram To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here.
