 "Will India begin census process next year? Will caste be included?")
The Centre is planning to conduct a census next year after it was delayed in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exercise is carried out every ten years but the last census was held in 2011.
The census and updating of the National Population Register (NPR) will likely begin early next year, with the data being released in 2026, as per a PTI report. With this, the future census cycle is expected to be changed — 2025-2035 and then 2035-2045 and so on.
What is a census? How will it be different? Let’s take a closer look.
Census in India
A census is a survey of the population of an area that includes collecting details of a country’s demographics including age, sex and occupation.
The first census was conducted in India in 1872 during British rule. Independent India’s first census was held in 1951 and since then it has happened in the first year of every decade.
The Constitution mandates that enumeration is carried out but the Census of India Act of 1948 does not specify its timing or periodicity.
According to the last census in 2011, India had a total population of 121 crore and the sex ratio was 940 females per 1,000 males.
It was reportedly the first time that data on transgender people was included in the enumeration.
The 2011 census found the country’s literacy rate was 74.04 per cent. While the literacy rate in males was 82 per cent, it was 65 per cent in females.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state, with a population of about 20 crore, as per the data. Lakshadweep was the least populous Union Territory with just 64,429 people.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAs per the 2011 census, Hindus comprised 79.8 per cent of India’s population, followed by Muslims at 14.23 per cent, Christians at 2.30 per cent and Sikhs at 1.72 per cent.
Next census in India in 2025?
India’s census is expected next year but an official announcement is yet to be made.
The census will gather data on India’s population, including religion, class, and caste demographics. Respondents may be asked 31 questions during the enumeration.
As per Hindustan Times (HT), the 2026 census could ask people to mark their “sects” in the enumeration forms. “For instance, there are Ravidasis, Rammanis, Ahmadis, Anand Margis and Bairagais. There is a provision to denote these sects,” the person in the know said.
The existing form asks respondents to fill in their name, family details, whether the head of the household belongs to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, the number of dwelling rooms in the household and so on. The only addition, reports say, is that people will have to mention their sect under religion.
This census is significant as it can lead to the delimitation process and the implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament.
“The process of tabulating the country’s population will begin in 2025 and is expected to conclude by 2026, following which the process of carving out constituencies for the Lok Sabha through delimitation will begin,” a person aware of the details told HT.
Delimitation is the act of drawing boundaries of constituencies and fixing the number of seats in each state for the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies. According to the Election Commission, this process is based on the population in the latest census.
However, it is not a certainty that the 2026 census will result in the delimitation exercise.
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”.
The delimitation exercise should have been carried out after the 2031 census as it would have been the first census after 2026. However, due to the census being delayed in 2021 and the next one likely in 2025, talks about delimitation have surfaced again.
If the government wants to begin the delimitation process after the census is released in 2026, it might have to amend the existing provision in the Constitution.
The delimitation process could trigger a political slugfest. Southern states, which effectively implemented population control, could lose out on representation in the Lok Sabha. On the other hand, northern states with higher populations may benefit as the number of Parliamentary constituencies is expected to increase.
Southern states like Tamil Nadu have expressed concerns about this. As per News18, the Centre is mulling a proposal so that southern states do not suffer for successfully meeting population control objectives.
Last year, the Parliament approved the 128th Constitution Amendment, reserving 33 per cent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women. However, this can be implemented only after the delimitation exercise is complete.
Calls for caste census
So far, it is not confirmed whether the caste census will be conducted along with the general census.
Several parties, including the Congress and even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allies like the Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), have advocated for caste-based enumeration.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh suggested calling an all-party meeting to “get clarity” on whether the census will count all castes and if it will be used to determine the “strength of each state in the Lok Sabha as provided for in Article 82 of the Constitution of India.”
The extension of the tenure of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner has just been notified. It means that the long-delayed Census that was due in 2021 will finally be conducted soon. But there is still absolutely no clarity on two crucial issues.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 28, 2024
1. Will this new Census… pic.twitter.com/Eu4KVqxCW0
JDU spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad told India Today, “In Bihar, we not only conducted the caste census but are also using the data to support people on social and economic levels. If the central government is considering a census next year, including caste data would be highly beneficial.”
The LJP (Ram Vilas) is also batting for the caste census. “To achieve policy goals, you need accurate population data. Knowing the numbers helps us implement policies more effectively,” the party’s MP Shambhavi Chaudhary told India Today, adding that the results should be used only for governance.
The BJP’s ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has backed caste census for welfare but not politics. However, the saffron party has remained ambiguous despite demands from its allies.
With inputs from agencies
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