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Delay in Census
Context:
The reduced Budget 2024-25 allocation of ₹1,309.46 crore for the Census, down from ₹3,768 crore in 2021-22, suggests that the decennial Census may not proceed as planned. The next Census remains on hold, with the government yet to announce a new schedule.
About the Census:
- The decennial census in India is a detailed survey conducted every 10 years by the government to gather demographic, economic, and social information about the population.
- The legal and constitutional basis for the Census in India is:
- Constitutional Basis: The Census is listed under the Union List (Entry 69) of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- Legal Basis: The Census is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948.
- While the Indian Constitution mandates the Census for reorganising constituencies, it does not specify the timing or frequency.
- The Census Act of 1948 also lacks details on timing. Despite this, the Census has been conducted every decade, starting from 1881.
- The census is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Ministry of Home Affairs.
Impact of delay of Census:
- Importance of Census Data in Policy Planning:Census data offers policymakers accurate and reliable information about the population, which is essential for formulating effective policies.
- It aids in resource allocation and planning across various sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, and social welfare.
- Carrying out delimitation and Electoral Representation:Census data is crucial for determining the number of seats and boundaries for electoral constituencies, ensuring fair representation based on population size and distribution.
Benefits of Census Data for the Private Sector
- To implement Women Reservation Act that provides 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State legislative Assemblies will only be implemented once delimitation exercise is carried out post 1st census after 2026.
- The Finance Commission allocates funds to States on the basis of Census figures and any delay could put them at a disadvantage.
- Proper implementation of PDS scheme and other welfare measures: Outdated census data from the 2011 Census has led to significant discrepancies in the allocation of benefits under welfare schemes, particularly the National Food Security Act (NFSA) of 2013.
- According to the 2011 Census, India’s population was about 121 crore, and PDS beneficiaries were approximately 80 crore
- However if the 67% ratio is applied to 2020’s projected population of 137 crore, PDS coverage should have increased to around 92 crore people.
- Census data are critical for other sample surveys conducted in the country as they use the Census data as a ‘frame’ or list from which a representative sample of the population is selected for surveys.
- For the latest edition of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) released last year, it was the 2011 data that served as the sampling frame.
Census and Delimitation:
- After each census, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Commission under Article 82.
- The purpose of delimitation is to redraw the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies to ensure equal representation for each constituency.
- Delimitation has taken place four times – 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002.
- In 1976, the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution froze the number of Lok Sabha seats and put off delimitation until the 2001 Census .
- But in 2002, delimitation was delayed for another 25 years, with the 84th Amendment.
- The Amendment froze the allocation of seats until “the relevant figures for the first Census taken after the year 2026 have been published”.
- With the total number of Lok Sabha seats frozen for almost 50 years, there are now wide discrepancies between states on the average number of electors represented by each MP.
- In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, for example, each MP from Delhi represented 20.5 lakh voters compared to just 55,000 for the MP from Lakshadweep.
- The delimitation exercise in 2026 would presumably seek to allocate seats so that each parliamentary constituency has roughly the same population.
- This would mean an increase in seats in states with high populations e.g. UP & Bihar and decrease in seats of states like Kerala and T.N who have done better population control.
- This concern of southern states can be addressed by the Finance commission evolving formula that rewards the states with better population control policy.