India’s next Population Census

Context: India’s long-postponed decadal census exercise will be conducted in two phases in 2026 and 2027. The Census paves the way to update the National Population Register (NPR) and for the establishment of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).

India’s next Population Census

• The next census - the exhaustive count of the population of the country and critical socio-economic details - will be conducted in two phases: 
  • Beginning in October 2026 - in snow-bound states and union territories, such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
  • Beginning on March 1, 2027 for the rest of the Indian states.
• The census will also have questions on caste - i.e., an enumeration of the various castes and sub-castes and associated population. 
• For the first time, Census data will be collected digitally, using mobile phone apps in 16 languages (Hindi, English and 14 regional languages). These apps are designed to be simple and user-friendly for both the enumerators and citizens, since the latter will also have the option to self-enumerate.
• Census management and monitoring system (CMMS) portal has been developed by the Office of RGI (Registrar General of India) for smooth conduct, management and monitoring of the exercise.
• Final population data will be available at the end of 2027 due to the digital mode.

What is the Census?

• 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 first Census exercise in India was started in 1881 during the British period with W. C. Plowden being the first Census Commissioner of India. 
• The Census is a Union list subject (as entry 69). Only the Central government is empowered to undertake the exercise. 
• There is a Constitutional mandate to carry out a Census. The Census of India Act, 1948 provides the legal framework for carrying out the Census.
• The responsibility of conducting the Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Neither Indian Constitution nor the Census of India Act, 1948 specifies the timing or periodicity of this exercise. 

Significance of upcoming Census: 

• Enumerate Caste data: The government has decided to conduct caste enumeration in the upcoming Census. Previously, all Censuses after Independence have captured only SC and ST details. It could inform disaggregated budgeting and track how welfare schemes like PM Awas Yojana or Skill India etc. are reaching caste groups, ensuring that the most marginalised are not left out. 
• Data for Electoral Planning: This Census data would be used for the delimitation exercise for determining the revised number of seats in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. The Census would also form the basis for reserving one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
• Mapping Population Transition: 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.
• Update NPR & NRC: The Census date will be used for the updation of the National Population Register (NPR) and for the establishment of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRC).
• 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. 
• 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:

• Resident: 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. 
• Aim: 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 finalise the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which distinguishes citizens from non-citizens.

 National Register of Citizens (NRC): 

• 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 (NRC)

Hence, the Census data will form the bedrock for evidence-based Policy making at National and State level.