India's 'first digital Census' remains postponed till September 2023
File image of a population clock in Mumbai
India's decennial Census remains postponed at least till September 30, 2023, Press Trust of India reported late Friday. For the first time in about 150 years, India could not conduct the national Census —a process done every ten years —in 2021 amid concerns related to the spread of COVID-19 infection.
In a communication to all states, India's Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner reportedly conveyed that the date of freezing of administrative boundaries has been extended till June 30.
According to established norms, census can be conducted only three months after the freezing of boundary limits of administrative units. In India, these administrative units are districts, sub-districts, tehsils, talukas and police stations. This means that Census can only begin after September 30, 2023.
India's Census: Original timeline
The housing listing phase of the census and the exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR) were scheduled to be carried out across India from April 1 to September 30, 2020, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The government is yet to announce the new schedule.
India's e-Census: Push for digitisation of Census exercise
A press note issued in May 2022 by Directorate of Census Operations in northeastern state of Assamsaid thatthe 16th Decennial Census will be the first digital census in the country.
WATCH |Next census will be e-census, India's big move towards digitalization
"The ensuing Census will be the first digital Census in the country... The data will be collected in the ensuing Census for the first time through mobile app," it said.
"Facility for self-enumeration shall also be available in the ensuing Census. This will not only reduce the time taken in release of Census results, but will also judiciously restrict the cost of conducting Census,"it said.
Census amid Covid pandemic: Countries whichpostponed the exercise
According to the United Nations Population Fund, Census operations were scheduled to take place in as many as 150 countries in 2020 and 2021. While some postponed it, many others, including the United States and China, went ahead with slight revision in the original schedule.
With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, countries such as Brazil, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Mexico and the Seychelles had postponed the Census exercise.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.