The Census is more than just population growth tracking, it also provides comprehensive socio-economic data that is used for policy making, economic planning and various administrative purposes. It is the largest repository of statistical information on various characteristics (gender, age, income, occupation, migration patterns, etc.) of the Indian population. For example, the Census is the only source of primary data for every village, town, and district in India. Delays in the census have resulted in major data gaps, as the last census was conducted in 2011, 13 years ago.
On September 16, 2020, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Parliament that the Census 2021 and its related field activities were postponed “until further orders” due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the same rationale given by the Minister in his written reply to a question in Parliament in December 2023.
The census usually begins three months after the administrative borders are frozen. According to reports, on December 30, 2023, the Additional Registrar General of India informed states that the deadline for freezing administrative boundaries of regions, counties, towns, etc. has been extended to June 30, 2024 (originally scheduled for January 1, 2024 ). This is the ninth extension, so the census may not begin before October 2024. Therefore, it eliminates the possibility of conducting a census before the 2024 election.
According to the United Nations Population Fund’s global census tracking system, 150 countries have planned to conduct censuses in 2020 and 2021, of which 94 countries including China, Bangladesh, and Nepal completed censuses during the epidemic. . Fifty-two countries have postponed censuses to new dates. India is one of three countries to postpone its census without setting a new date.
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