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Concerns About India’s First Digital But Delayed Census
Context:
India is preparing for its 2021 census, which has been delayed by three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be the first digital census in the country, but several concerns and delays surround the process.
Key Points:
Historical Context and Digital Transition:
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- The Census of India has been conducted every decade since 1881, with the last one in 2011.
- The 2021 census will be conducted digitally, allowing self-enumeration through a mobile app in 16 languages.
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Concerns with Digital Census:
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- Access Issues: Only half of India’s 1.4 billion population has smartphones, potentially excluding significant portions of the population.
- Technical Challenges: Past tech solutions, like the Cowin platform, faced issues. Critics worry the new app might also encounter problems.
- Gender Disparity: Women have less access to the internet compared to men, raising concerns about their participation.
- Privacy Concerns: Previous data breaches highlight risks of privacy violations.
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Delays and Political Concerns:
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- Inexplicable Delay: The census was delayed even after the pandemic, impacting government welfare schemes reliant on up-to-date data.
- Delimitation and NPR: Delays in delimitation and the controversial National Population Register (NPR) have further postponed the census.
- Caste Census Debate: There is a demand for a caste census to provide data on social and economic status, but the government has been reluctant, citing administrative difficulties.
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Impact of Delays:
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- Development Planning: Accurate census data is crucial for effective development planning and resource allocation.
- Election Representation: The delay has led to claims of under-representation in the general election due to unchanged parliamentary boundaries.
- Women’s Reservation Act: Implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, which reserves one-third of parliamentary seats for women, depends on delimitation.
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Governance and Transparency Issues: Critics are concerned that the new Steering Committee for National Sample Survey may be influenced by the government, affecting data integrity.
