Latest news with #OfficeoftheRegistrarGeneralandCensusCommissionerofIndia
News18
05-06-2025
- 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?
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
India's latest MMR shows a declining trend
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India declined to 93 per lakh live births in 2019-21 from 97 in 2018-20, and 103 in 2017-2019, according to the latest data released by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. The data show the highest MMR occurs in the 20-29 years age group, and the second highest MMR is seen in the 30-34 years age group. Several States, including Madhya Pradesh (175), Assam (167), Uttar Pradesh (151), Odisha (135), Chhattisgarh (132), West Bengal (109), and Haryana (106), have high MMRs. The Registrar General arrives at estimates on fertility and mortality using the Sample Registration System, one of the largest demographic sample surveys in the country. The MMR in a region is a measure of the reproductive health of women in the area. One of the key indicators of maternal mortality is the MMR, defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time period as reported. The U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim at reducing global MMR to to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. Many women in the reproductive age span die due to complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth, or abortion. 'Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes,' according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The data states that maternal deaths, being a rare event, require prohibitively large sample sizes to provide robust estimates. The WHO notes that, every day in 2023, over 700 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. 'A maternal death occurred almost every 2 minutes in 2023. Between 2000 and 2023, the by about 40% worldwide. Just over 90% of all maternal deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries in 2023. Care by skilled health professionals before, during and after childbirth can save the lives of women and newborns,'' the WHO said.
