What Count Is Seldom Counted

Context: Census data in India are losing their relevance in the development agenda. 

Significance of Census

• Understanding future trends: Census provides insights into changing dynamics of population attributes over time including sex ratio and work participation (female work participation).
• Role in guiding policymaking: Census is the most credible source of information on Demography and other socio-cultural data and is widely used by National and International Agencies, industrialists, etc.
• A tool for neutral interventions: The primary axes of disaggregation of Census-based information are residence, age, gender, administrative units, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and religion.
  • Census offers two units of analysis, at the individual level and the household level.
  • Inclined towards objective criteria like adversity or failure itself, rather than ascribed attributes like caste and religion hence avoiding an environment of patronage and clientelism. 

 Role of Census is diminishing due to following reasons

• Under-utilisation and non-utilisation of Census data: As limited information is collected and there are multiple hurdles in dissemination of data to all levels of policymaking.
  • Old design and format: Not capable of comprehending present day challenges and needs.
• Non-timely dissemination: Mainly due to conflicts with political agenda and bureaucratic regulations.
  • Data on internal migration collected in 2011 Census was made available to public only when Economic Survey 2016­-17 wrote a chapter on it.
  • Uncertainty in Conducting Census Exercise: 2021 Census itself has not been conducted yet.
• Confusions arising from new demands: Demand for including caste enumeration within census.
• Rise of alternative sources of information: Numerous large-scale surveys which are funded by the various ministries are used as data source instead of Census.
• Lack of interest by the scientific community in a nuanced exploration of the data.

Way forward

• A digital Census would ensure better quality, coverage and quick results in this digital age.
• Expand the ambit: By covering capability attributes of an individual like education and profession and other tangible endowments like ownership of land, house etc.

Conclusion: Census data, if explored intelligently and systematically without the limitation of survey-based data sets like biases, errors, and representational issues, have much more potential.