The interim Budget for 2024-25 has allocated ₹1,277.80 crore for the census, indicating a significant reduction from the previous allocation of ₹3,768 crore in 2021-22. This reduction raises concerns about the possibility of a further delay in the census exercise, which has been on hold for various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Union cabinet had approved the proposal for conducting the census of India 2021 in December 2019, with a budget of ₹8,754.23 crore, along with updating the National Population Register (NPR) at a cost of ₹3,941.35 crore. However, the scheduled house listing phase of the census and the NPR exercise, planned from April 1 to September 30, 2020, were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The census operation remains on hold, and the government has not announced a new schedule for its commencement. Officials suggest that with general elections due this year, the census is unlikely to be carried out in 2024.
In the interim budget, ₹1,277.80 crore has been allocated for census surveys and statistics, with ₹520.96 crore earmarked for the fiscal year 2023-24. The total cost of the census and NPR exercise is expected to exceed ₹12,000 crore.
Whenever the census is conducted, it will be the first digital census, allowing citizens to self-enumerate. The NPR has been made compulsory for citizens who wish to fill out the census form on their own rather than through government enumerators. A self-enumeration portal has been designed by the census authority for this purpose, but it is yet to be launched.
During the self-enumeration process, citizens will be required to provide their Aadhaar or mobile number. The questionnaire prepared by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner includes various aspects such as household amenities, consumption patterns, and demographic details.
The questions cover topics like ownership of communication devices (telephone, internet connection, mobile, etc.), means of transportation, housing conditions, access to essential facilities (water, sanitation, kitchen), and demographic information about the residents. The implementation of the census exercise, whenever it occurs, will provide valuable insights into India’s demographic landscape.