After postponing the decennial census, which was originally due in 2021, marking the first such instance since 1881, the government of India is finally set to undertake the mammoth task of counting every person in the country.
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After postponing the decennial census, which was originally due in 2021, marking the first such instance since 1881, the government of India is finally set to undertake the mammoth task of counting every person in the country. The Modi government approved the proposal for conducting the Census of India 2027 in December last year, after the unprecedented delay drew heavy criticism from Opposition parties and critics alike, who argued that it has adversely impacted welfare programmes, hindered policymaking and deprived millions of potential new beneficiaries due to reliance on outdated 2011 census data. It is better late than never. The data gathered in the headcount exercise to be conducted over the next few months will serve as the foundational database for framing policy decisions, development planning, resource allocation, identifying beneficiaries for welfare schemes and various aspects of governance that will have direct impact on the public, until the next census. Knowing the importance of accurate enumeration for equitable and effective implementation of government programmes and policies, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has called for a “clean and accurate” census in the state ahead of the exercise, cautioning against inflated figures and duplicate entries. Addressing a high-level briefing on Census 2027 last week, he said an inflated population caused by multiple entries can have a cascading effect, like skewed outcomes of government scheme coverage, school enrolment data, Aadhaar coverage, etc.
Well, the state has exhibited abnormal fluctuations in population growth over the last few decades, recording a 56.08 per cent growth rate between 1981 and 1991, followed by a 64.53 per cent decadal increase, before the population declined by 0.58 per cent in the 2011 census. This trend only goes on to validate the allegations that some villages have resorted to multiple entries for enhancing e-roll population. We must stop living in denial and heed the Chief Minister's call to uphold integrity; putting an end to the wrongful practice of inflating census data will lead to distorted metrics, such as per capita averages, economic indicators, and welfare distribution. This time, the census exercise will be conducted in two phases—Houselisting and Housing Census, followed by Population Enumeration—and is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2027. For the first time, it will go fully digital as well as include caste enumeration. The Census of India 2027 also holds political significance because the data is expected to form the basis for the upcoming delimitation exercise for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Given the importance of this exercise, it is essential to ensure the accuracy of the census.