Population census may start in September, likely to take 18 months to finish: Report

NEW DELHI, Aug 22
India is likely to commence its long-pending population census in September, according to a report by Reuters, citing official Government sources. Originally scheduled for completion in 2021, the decennial census had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was further pushed back due to technical and logistical hurdles.
The new survey is expected to take around 18 months to finish once it starts next month, officials directly involved in the matter told Reuters.
The process is awaiting final approval from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, as per the report citing official sources.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), responsible for overseeing the census, along with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), has established a timeline with the goal of releasing the results by March 2026. This timeline will encompass data spanning a 15-year period, according to the officials.
Both the MHA and MoSPI have not responded to Reuters' requests for comment on the matter.
India's population was 121.1 crore based on the last census held in 2011.
Between then and now, the United Nations projected in an April 2023 report that India had surpassed China for the first time to become the world's most populous country, with an estimated population of over 142 crore (1,425,775,850).
The decennial census is a critical tool for collecting detailed population data, including demographics, economic activities, literacy, and housing. This data is essential for Government planning, policymaking, and ensuring the equitable distribution of resources and services across the country.
The census also sheds light on regional disparities and tracks development progress, making it vital for effective governance and equitable growth.
The delay in the latest census has drawn criticism, with concerns that it undermines the accuracy of important statistical surveys on economic data, inflation, and employment.
And with the census long overdue, the Union Government has had to rely on outdated 2011 data, weakening the quality of key economic indicators and hindering informed decision-making.
Meanwhile, the potential census announcement comes amid increasing demands for a caste-based census, with the Opposition highlighting the issue as a key poll promise in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Notably, a caste-economic survey report released by the former grand alliance Government in Bihar in November 2023 revealed that 34.13% of the State's families had a monthly income of only Rs 6,000.
Going by the World Bank's median poverty line last updated in September 2022, drawn as being under USD 2.15 (Rs 176) per person per day, all these families will be classified as extremely poor.
And on Thursday, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the Union Government for delaying the 2021 census, stating that the postponement has prevented the collection of crucial information needed for economic planning and social justice programmes.
The Congress leader shared on X a report in The Hindu that said the Union Government is yet to take a call on conducting the next census exercise, but active discussion is on to expand the data collection to include caste enumeration.
"India has been conducting a census regularly every ten years. The last such census was due in 2021. The continuing failure to conduct this 2021 census has meant that vital information necessary for economic planning and for social justice programmes has not been collected. As a result, for instance, over 12 crore Indians have been denied due benefits under the National Food Security Act, 2013/PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana," Ramesh posted on X.
"Now there are reports that the Union Government may conduct this long-overdue and unacceptably delayed census over the next few months. Every census since 1951 has been collecting data caste-wise on the population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Without any difficulty, just by adding an extra column, the census questionnaire can also collect caste-wise data of the OBC population as well. This will fulfil the widespread demand for a caste census and will give more solid foundations to affirmative action programmes," he added.
The 2011 census data
According to the 2011 Census of India, the total population was 1.21 billion or 121.1 crore, with males constituting 51.5% (623.2 million or 62.32 crore) and females 48.5% (587.7 million or 58.77 crore).
Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 199.5 million (19.95 crore), was the most populous State, followed by Maharashtra with 112 million (11.2 crore). Sikkim, with a population of 610,577 (6.11 lakh), was the least populous State.
Bihar had the highest population density, while Arunachal Pradesh had the lowest. Lakshadweep had the smallest population among Union Territories. Kerala had the highest sex ratio and literacy rate, whereas Haryana had the lowest sex ratio and Bihar had the lowest literacy rate.
India's population increased by over 181 million (18.1 crore) from 2001 to 2011, representing a growth rate of 17.64%. Males grew by 17.19%, and females by 18.12%.
In the 2011 census, 31.2% of the population lived in urban areas (377.1 million or 37.71 crore), and 68.8% resided in rural areas (833.8 million or 83.38 crore). Additionally, 453.6 million (45.36 crore) people, or 37.8% of the total population, were classified as migrants.
The religious composition in 2011 was as follows: Hindus made up 79.8% (964.6 million or 96.46 crore), Muslims 14.2% (172.2 million or 17.22 crore), Christians 2.3% (27.8 million or 2.78 crore), Sikhs 1.7% (20.8 million or 2.08 crore), Buddhists 0.7% (8.4 million or 84 lakh), Jains 0.4% (4.5 million or 45 lakh), and other religions 0.9% (10.9 million or 1.09 crore).
The percentage decadal growth rates for the six most populous States declined from 1991-2001 to 2001-2011: Uttar Pradesh fell from 25.85% to 20.09%, Maharashtra from 22.73% to 15.99%, Bihar from 28.62% to 25.07%, West Bengal from 17.77% to 13.93%, Andhra Pradesh from 14.59% to 11.10%, and Madhya Pradesh from 24.26% to 20.30%.
The New Indian Express