Critical Need for a Population Census in India

Source-This post on The Critical Need for a Population Census in India has been created based on the article “No population Census — in the dark without vital data” published in “The Hindu” on 10 August 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-1- Population and Associated Issues, Poverty and Developmental issues, Urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

Context– India’s ten-year population Census has been delayed by over three years, causing major concerns. Some officials mistakenly believe that other methods can replace a full Census. However, a Census does much more than count people; it offers detailed information about where people live, family structures, and individual details, helping understand changes in the population.

What is the significance of Conducting Regular Census Data?

1) Survey Reliability– Without a recent census, surveys like the National Family Health Survey and Periodic Labour Force Survey are less reliable. They are based on outdated census data that’s over 15 years old.

2) Tracking Societal Changes: Over the past fifteen years, there have been significant changes in population size, demographics, education, jobs, health (including COVID-19), and living conditions. A census is essential to accurately understand these changes.

3) Policy Planning and Evaluation: Without accurate census data, it’s hard to properly assess how well government programs are working. The absence of a proper population denominator can lead to misleading evaluations of coverage and impact.

4) Demographic Dividend: A census is essential to understand India’s rapid demographic transition and the resulting demographic dividend. It provides important data on familial structures, locational distribution, and occupational composition.

5) Global Significance: India’s population has a big impact on global trends. Accurate census data is better than estimates based on projections and guesses.

6) SDG Indicators: –To effectively track Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we need detailed indicators for smaller regions. These indicators depend on accurate population counts, which are not possible without a census.

Read more- Delimitation Exercise- Explained Pointwise

What are the Concerns and Implications?

1) Caste Census Debate- The push for a caste Census might be driven more by political interests than by a real need for detailed demographic data. Despite long-term affirmative action policies, there hasn’t been a clear review of how education and job opportunities have changed for different castes.

2) Administrative Challenges- Conducting a Census is as challenging as organizing national elections. The real question is whether the delay is due to administrative issues or a deliberate choice to avoid revealing the true data. Delaying the Census may help the government claim progress based only on partial data, without accurate figures to measure it properly.

 Way forward– The scientific community must stress the importance of holding a Census soon and make it clear that surveys and administrative data cannot replace a thorough Census.

Question for practice

What is the significance of Conducting Regular Census Data?