The Centre is likely to begin the much-delayed census exercise by early 2025 to update the National Population Register (NPR). The data of the survey will be declared by 2026 but no decision on caste census has been taken yet, news agency PTI reported quoting official sources.
"In all probability, the work for the census and the NPR will begin early next year and the population data will be announced by 2026. With this, the census cycle is likely to be changed. So, it will be 2025-2035 and then 2035-2045 and so on in future," the PTI source said.
"The government has not yet taken any decision on caste census," the source said.
The census exercise has been done every 10 years since 1951 in India. In 2021, it was delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The opposition, led by the Congress, has also demanded a caste census so that the total OBC population in the country is known.
According to the 2011 data, India's total population was 121 crore, sex ratio was 940 females per 1,000 males, literacy rate was 74.04 per cent and the population growth was 17.64 per cent from 2001 to 2011.
Delimitation exercise next?
The census exercise may also lead to the delimitation exercise which is due in 2026.
The Article 82 of the Constitution states: "Provided also that until the relevant figures for the first census taken after the year 2026 have been published, it shall not be necessary to readjust the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States as readjusted on the basis of the 1971 census".
It means if census is conducted in 2025 and data published in 2026, delimitation exercise cannot be carried out based on 2025 census data. If it happens, then the Article 82 has to be amended.
"All these factors will have to look into before any decision is taken on delimitation," the sources said.
Congress seeks all-party meet for clarity
Amid the reports of Census exercise, Congress on Monday has called for an all-party meeting to get clarity on two crucial aspects of the upcoming census. Firstly, they sought to know whether the census would include a comprehensive enumeration of all castes in the country, beyond the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes that have been counted in every census since 1951. Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, emphasised that according to the Constitution of India, "such a caste census is the sole responsibility of the Union Government."
Secondly, the Congress raised concerns about whether the census data would be utilised to determine the strength of each state in the Lok Sabha, as outlined in Article 82 of the Constitution. Ramesh questioned whether this would disadvantage states that have been at the forefront of family planning initiatives.
The call for an all-party meeting comes in light of the recent notification extending the tenure of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner.
"In all probability, the work for the census and the NPR will begin early next year and the population data will be announced by 2026. With this, the census cycle is likely to be changed. So, it will be 2025-2035 and then 2035-2045 and so on in future," the PTI source said.
"The government has not yet taken any decision on caste census," the source said.
The census exercise has been done every 10 years since 1951 in India. In 2021, it was delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The opposition, led by the Congress, has also demanded a caste census so that the total OBC population in the country is known.
According to the 2011 data, India's total population was 121 crore, sex ratio was 940 females per 1,000 males, literacy rate was 74.04 per cent and the population growth was 17.64 per cent from 2001 to 2011.
Delimitation exercise next?
The census exercise may also lead to the delimitation exercise which is due in 2026.
The Article 82 of the Constitution states: "Provided also that until the relevant figures for the first census taken after the year 2026 have been published, it shall not be necessary to readjust the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States as readjusted on the basis of the 1971 census".
It means if census is conducted in 2025 and data published in 2026, delimitation exercise cannot be carried out based on 2025 census data. If it happens, then the Article 82 has to be amended.
"All these factors will have to look into before any decision is taken on delimitation," the sources said.
Congress seeks all-party meet for clarity
Amid the reports of Census exercise, Congress on Monday has called for an all-party meeting to get clarity on two crucial aspects of the upcoming census. Firstly, they sought to know whether the census would include a comprehensive enumeration of all castes in the country, beyond the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes that have been counted in every census since 1951. Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, emphasised that according to the Constitution of India, "such a caste census is the sole responsibility of the Union Government."
Secondly, the Congress raised concerns about whether the census data would be utilised to determine the strength of each state in the Lok Sabha, as outlined in Article 82 of the Constitution. Ramesh questioned whether this would disadvantage states that have been at the forefront of family planning initiatives.
The call for an all-party meeting comes in light of the recent notification extending the tenure of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner.
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