2.5 mn Enumerators being trained for second phase of Census 2011

Training workshops being held across the country at various centers

India will be undertaking the 15th Census of the country in February 2011 where every person present in the country (except diplomats) – from the newborns to the oldest persons living in the country – will be enumerated to update the national database on India’s population. The Government of India has created special training modules for training the over 2.5 million enumerators along with thousands of support and supervisory staff who will enumerate the population of nearly 1.2 billion.

The Training and Capacity Building activity is mammoth and involves:

• Training 2,700,000 enumerators, who will undertake the enumeration of every citizen of the country in February, 2011
• Training of 54,000 Master Trainers who will in turn undertake task of the training the Enumerators.
• Training of 725 MTFs. 
• Development of the Manuals and training modules along with the training kits for various levels of training

Speaking on the exercise, Ms. Varsha Joshi, Director, Census Operations, Delhi, said “The Enumerator training comprises of various modules aimed to prepare the enumerators for the upcoming second phase of Census 2011 and to help them tackle any kind of challenges they might face during that time. It is extremely important that the data collected by the enumerators is correct and can be collated well. For the purpose, understanding the various sections of the form is extremely important.”

“The training also includes behavioral training to help them interact better with the respondents. This is important so as to put the respondents at ease and bring in comfort while collecting information. In particular, two special modules have been included this time as part of the training sessions. The first is for gender sensitization, and is being given during the trainings in 262 districts across India which have been declared “gender critical” in view of poor gender related indicators as per the Census 2001 data. The second is for sensitization towards disability. The thinking behind the addition of these modules is that conscious or unconscious preconceptions either on the part of the enumerator or on part of the respondent should not be permitted to come in the way of gathering good data. Thus, soft skills can make a big contribution in netting hard data.”

While these two extra modules have been conducted at the state level everywhere, in Delhi, where sadly, all nine districts are “gender critical”, we have been able to conduct both these modules in each and every enumerator’s training and thus reach the grassroots. Knowing the excellent impact of these modules on participants, we hope it helps us to get better data than ever.”

The enumerator population comprises of school teachers and government employees. The 3 day training program is being conducted across all 640 districts of the country. Extensive research has gone into formulating the training modules. Inputs have also been taken from those who were part of the Census exercise in 2001. 

About the Indian Census
The Indian Census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of the people of India. With a history of more than 130 years, this reliable, time tested exercise has been bringing out a veritable wealth of statistics every 10 years, beginning from 1872 when the first census was conducted in India non-synchronously in different parts. To scholars and researchers in demography, economics, anthropology, sociology, statistics and many other disciplines, the Indian Census has been a fascinating source of data. The rich diversity of the people of India is truly brought out by the decennial census which has become one of the tools to understand and study India

The responsibility of conducting the decennial Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.