Census Delay in India

Central Idea

Delay impacts the implementation of the law reserving 33% of seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.

Originally planned for 2020, the Census is now postponed to at least October 2024.

About the
Census of India

Conducted by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1949.

Conducted every 10 years; first complete census in 1881.

Last census in 2011; next planned for 2021.

Conducted 16 times, starting in 1872 under Lord Mayo.

Delay in Vital
Statistics Reports

Importance for planning health care, family planning, and educational programs.

Latest available reports cover up to 2020, including COVID-19 related deaths.

Reports on births, deaths, and causes of deaths for 2021, 2022, and 2023 not released.

Significance
of Census

Affects electoral representation by redrawing political boundaries and allocating legislative seats.

Guides resource allocation for education, healthcare, social welfare, transportation, and infrastructure.

Influences planning and development decisions by analyzing population trends.

Assists economic planning, business decisions, social research, and policy analysis.

Determines population size, distribution, and composition for effective governance and policymaking.

Criticisms
associated

High cost, potential for incorrect information, inadequate training for enumerators.

Delayed release of data due to political reasons, resource crunch, or events like pandemics.

Exclusion of caste data and cumbersome process.

Lack of nuanced approach in exploring census data beyond demographic information.

Policy paralysis and underutilization of data, leading to delays in policymaking.

Conclusion

Delay emphasizes the need for adaptive measures for effective implementation of the women’s reservation law.

Broader implications for governance and policymaking underscore the importance of timely and accurate demographic data.

Evidence-based policymaking requires strategic planning for accurate data collection.