Preparing India for a credible digital Census, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The 2027 Census house listing phase is underway in some states, with questionnaire pre-testing conducted last year.
• A question on caste is being included in the Census for the first time since Independence.
• The 2027 Census data will be used for the next delimitation of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly constituencies.
• The Indian Census follows an extended de facto method of enumeration.
• The entire data collection process for the next Census is planned to be carried out using mobile electronic devices.
• There will be an option for respondents to self-enumerate using a computer or smartphone.

Detailed Insights:

• The inclusion of a question on caste aims to provide comprehensive data, but experiences from surveys in Bihar and Karnataka suggest potential acceptance issues with the results.
• The extended de facto method counts people at their usual residence, including those temporarily absent, and defines a household as members sharing a common kitchen.
• Discrepancies exist between census data and voter lists due to the six-month residency requirement for voter registration and the inclusion of NRIs in voter lists but not in the census.
• Some states with significant NRI populations, like Kerala, Gujarat, Punjab, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, may experience a loss of Lok Sabha seats due to NRI exclusion from census data.
• The use of mobile electronic devices for data collection can improve data quality and processing speed, but requires addressing challenges related to enumerator proficiency and data-entry errors.
• Self-enumeration poses risks of respondent fatigue, inaccurate answers, and omission of certain individuals, necessitating well-worded questions and clear explanations.
• Measures to improve accuracy include specific questions about the presence of individuals and relatives, but vigilance is needed to prevent fraudulent enumerations.

Key Concepts Involved:

• De jure Census: Counting people at their place of legal residence.
• De facto Census: Counting people at the place where they are present during the Census.
• Delimitation: The process of redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary or assembly constituencies.