News: The Registrar General of India (RGI) has requested a budget of ₹14,618.95 crore to conduct the Census 2027, which will be India’s first “Digital Census” and will also include the collection of caste data.
About Registrar General of India (RGI)
- In 1949, the Government of India created a permanent organisation under the Ministry of Home Affairs, headed by the Registrar General and Ex-Officio Census Commissioner of India.
- The main responsibility of this office is to systematically collect data on India’s population size, growth, and distribution.
- The RGI also implements the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. The post is usually held by a civil servant of Joint Secretary rank.
- Apart from the decennial Census, the office also conducts demographic and linguistic surveys.
Main Functions of the RGI
- Census (Population & Housing Census): Conducts India’s decadal Census under the Census Act, 1948.
- Civil Registration System (CRS): It is responsible for compulsory registration of births and deaths under the RBD Act, 1969 and coordinates with states and UTs for smooth functioning.
- National Population Register (NPR): It maintains a database of all people usually residing in India, under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003.
- Mother Tongue Survey: It also surveys and documents mother tongues reported in multiple census decades.
- Sample Registration System (SRS): It conducts large-scale surveys of births and deaths twice a year. It also provides vital statistics like Birth Rate, Death Rate, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) at the state level.
About Census 2027
- The Census 2027 will be the 16th Census overall and the 8th Census since Independence.
- It collects data at the village, town, and ward level on various aspects such as: Housing conditions, amenities, and assets, Demography and religion, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), Language, literacy, and education and economic activity, migration, and fertility
Features of Census 2027
- First Digital Census: Data will be collected using dedicated mobile applications. Citizens will have the option of self-enumeration.
- Caste Enumeration: On April 30, 2024, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in Census 2027. Caste data will also be recorded electronically for the first time.
- Real-Time Monitoring: The RGI is creating a Census Monitoring & Management System (CMMS) website for real-time supervision. Over 35 lakh enumerators and supervisors will be deployed, which is more than 30% higher compared to the 27 lakh staff in Census 2011.
