MHA appoints 10 directors of Census operations, allows self-enumeration

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday appointed 10 'Directors of Census Operations' in various states, including Uttar Pradesh.

The officers have been appointed in Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat (Daman Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli), Tamil Nadu (Pudducherry) and Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India (ORGI).

The Gazette notification reads that the President is pleased to appoint the officers of Indian Administrative Service as Director of Census Operations or Director of Citizen Registration in various Directorates of Census Operations under Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India on central deputation.

However, the government is yet to announce new dates for the launch of the Census and the process is on hold since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In another Gazette notification, the MHA has also amended the Census Rule, 1990 to allow the data collection in paper and electronic form during the decennial Census exercise.

As per Census (Amendment) Rules, 2022, for the purposes of clause "electronic form" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (r) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000) and "self-enumeration" means filling-up, completion and submission of Census schedule by respondents themselves.

In Rule 5, after the words "in the Census", the words "and to be used for self-enumeration" shall be inserted. And in clause (e), for the word "media", the words "or electronic or any other media" shall be substituted. In Rule 6, after clause (b), the following clause shall be inserted, namely "(c) carry out such other tasks as may be necessary for the successful taking of the Census."

After Rule 6C, the following shall be inserted, namely Rule 6D, which means the filling-up of Census schedule through self-enumeration, added the notification. It says that 'without prejudice to any other provisions of these rules, a person may fill-up, complete and submit the census schedule through the self-enumeration'.

In Rule 8, in clause (vii), after the word "radio", the words "print media, electronic media, social media," shall be inserted.