Context: India’s long-postponed decadal census exercise and the National Population Register update are likely to begin in early 2025, with data expected by 2026. The 2025 Census includes an exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR), which is the first step for the establishment of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: Key facts and provisions about the Census, NPR, NRIC.
Mains: Importance of Census Exercise.
Is the decadal Census a constitutional mandate?
- Census is an official enumeration of the entire population of any country, done periodically by the government. It provides information on the size, distribution, socio-economic characteristics, demographics etc. of a country's population.
- The responsibility of conducting the decennial Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under Ministry of Home Affairs.
- There is a Constitutional mandate to carry out a Census. It is mentioned in the Union List of Subjects (as entry 69). Thus, only the Central government is empowered to undertake the exercise.
- However, neither the Indian Constitution nor the Census of India Act, 1948 (which provides the legal framework for carrying out the Census) specifies the timing or periodicity of this exercise.
- The census is conducted every 10 years in India. Most countries follow a 10-year cycle for their census.
- Till date, India has successfully conducted 15 successive censuses since 1872. The latest census, originally planned for 2021, was postponed due to COVID-19.
About Census 2025
- The planned Census for 2025 will follow a structured questionnaire with 31 key points, similar to prior census exercises.
- Queries will cover demographic details like caste affiliations, economic conditions, and household amenities, providing insights into living standards across India.
- E.g., Citizens will be asked about their primary source of drinking water, household assets like mobile phones, vehicles, and kitchen facilities, as well as key details about family structure and the main cereal consumed.
Importance of Census 2025:
- Mapping India’s Population Transition since 2011: The past decade has seen significant changes in population dynamics, not only in numbers with change in demographic patterns (like increased urbanisation, urban migration) and increased ageing population. The Census will assist in interpreting fertility rate, migration rates and distribution of population which will assist in tracking resource distribution.
- Evidence-based Policy making: Census data forms the bedrock for National and State-level policies. E.g.,
- Infrastructure: Information on water sources, electricity, housing and sanitation can guide infrastructure development projects.
- Healthcare data helps in planning healthcare facilities, vaccination programs, and targeted interventions in underserved areas.
- Education: Identifying literacy levels and enrollment gaps ensures targeted educational reforms.
- Evaluating Government Schemes: Accurate population data is essential for evaluating the efficiency and outreach of welfare schemes like PMAY, MGNREGA, and PDS.
- Providing a reliable benchmark for Alternative Surveys: Alternative surveys, such as NFHS or NSSO while insightful, lack the comprehensiveness of the Census. Only the Census provides comprehensive, accurate data crucial for national planning, and without it, evaluations of government programs lack a reliable denominator, making policy assessments misleading.
- Data for Electoral Planning: Census 2025 is critical for delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies (which has been on hold for the last five decades), and the implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament.
- Tracking progress towards SDGs: Census data contributes to global demographic studies and aids India in fulfilling its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing accurate metrics on poverty, health, and education.
National People Register (NPR) vs Census:
- Any person who has been living in an area or locality for six months or more or intends to live in an area/locality for the next six months at the time of a survey is considered a resident.
- The NPR is a register of all ‘residents’ of the country, prepared at several levels — local (village/sub-town), subdistrict, district, state and national — under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
- The objective of the exercise is to create a comprehensive database of residents of the nation including their demographic particulars. The exercise is carried out under the supervision of Registrar General and ex-Officio Census Commissioner, India.
- Detailed inquiries into citizenship status are conducted to finalize the National Register of Citizens (NRIC), which distinguishes citizens from non-citizens.
National Register of Citizens (NRIC):
- The NRIC draws its mandate from the Citizenship Act 1955. Initially conceptualised after the 1951 Census, the NRIC gained renewed significance following recommendations by the Subrahmanyam Committee in the aftermath of the Kargil war (1999).
- Aim: To enhance national security by maintaining a verified citizen registry.
- Benefits: Streamlining identity verification, reducing identity fraud and duplication, and enabling targeted welfare programmes that ensure benefits reach only eligible recipients.
- The NPR serves as the initial step in achieving these objectives by differentiating citizens from non-citizens through a multi-phase process that collects demographic and biometric data on all usual residents.
National People Register (NPR) vs National Register of Citizens (NRIC):
| National Population Register (NPR) | National Register of Citizens (NRC) |
| All people staying in India 6 months and above and who intend to reside for 6 months or more, including foreigners. | Indian-born or Indian parents or staying in India for 11 years are eligible for Indian Citizenship. |
| Prepared with Census 2011 and updated in 2015. The next update was scheduled during the next Census from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2020. Only Assam would not participate in this activity. | First prepared during the 1951 Census and it is not updated regularly. Assam is the only state in the country where the NRC is updated. |
| NPR is not a citizenship enumeration drive as it includes foreigners as well. | NRC is a citizenship enumeration drive as it includes Indian citizens only. |
| It is compulsory for all Indian residents to register with NPR. The main purpose of the NPR is to identify illegal migrants and identify them as foreign nationals. | NRC is a subset of NPR where only the citizens of India are taken into account. |
Aadhar vs National Register of Citizens (NRIC):
Aadhaar and the NRIC serve distinct purposes-
- Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to residents of India, regardless of citizenship. Aadhar primarily serves as a biometric-based identity verification tool, linking residents to services such as banking, subsidies, and digital identity.
- NRIC aims to establish a comprehensive citizen registry. While Aadhaar is focused on identity verification and can be held by any resident, the NRIC is a citizenship verification system, mandating proof of citizenship. Thus, Aadhaar is broadly inclusive for all residents, whereas the NRIC serves as a definitive record for citizens.
Learnings from Assam NRC:
- Assam is the only state where the National Register of Citizens (NIRC) has been updated (2019).
- Issues:
- Stringent Documentation: Concerns over its accuracy and fairness as stringent documentation requirements left many rural and less-educated residents unable to meet the criteria.
- Administrative and Humanitarian challenges: Highlights the significant humanitarian and administrative challenges that could arise from implementing a nationwide NRIC.
- Data Privacy Concerns: Concerns about data privacy and the potential misuse of demographic and biometric information persist.
- Logistical lessons: Verifying citizenship on a national scale requires streamlined processes and comprehensive public awareness campaigns.