Page 5 - Census

Overdue Census

The delay is disturbing

No census in 2021, at least 140 mn deprived of NFSA benefits: Congress

The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to tell the country soon when the updated census will be conducted and demanded that it must also provide data on the population of communities categorised as OBCs to give "true meaning" to social justice enshrined in the Constitution. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said a comprehensive census essential for socioeconomic development is carried out by the Union government every 10 years. The last census was to be completed in 2021. "But Mr Modi didn't get it done. One immediate consequence of not having census 2021 conducted is that at least 14 crore Indians are being deprived of benefits under the National Food Security Act, 2013, repackaged as PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana," he said. "The 'one-third' prime minister has to tell the country soon when the updated census will be conducted," the Congress general secretary said. The decennial Census has since 1951 provided data on the population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled

Empower our cities

As the economy grows, city governance must become a central part of our long-term development strategy

India plans economic data improvements, long-delayed population census

The Statistics Ministry has made a number of proposals that have been discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office in the past month, the people said

Census, NPR unlikely in 2024 too as only Rs 1,277 cr allocated in budget

The interim budget 2024-24 on Thursday allocated Rs 1,277.80 crore for census, a significant reduction from 2021-22 when Rs 3,768 crore was allocated and an indication that the exercise may not be carried out even after three years of delay. A meeting of the Union cabinet on December 24, 2019 had approved the proposal for conducting census of India 2021 at a cost of Rs 8,754.23 crore and updating the National Population Register (NPR) at a cost of Rs 3,941.35 crore. The house listing phase of the census and the exercise to update the NPR were scheduled to be carried out across the country from April 1 to September 30, 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The census operation continues to be on hold and the government has not yet announced the new schedule. Officials said since general elections are due this year, the census is unlikely to be carried out in 2024. According to the interim budget, Rs 1277.80 crore has been allocated for census surveys and statistics (Rs .

Telangana govt to take up caste census soon, says CM Revanth Reddy

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the state government would soon take up caste census as promised to people before elections. Reddy, who held a meeting on issues concerning minorities, backward classes and tribal welfare departments, directed officials to take steps for carrying out the caste census, an official release said. The CM also asked officials to prepare budget estimates for implementing 'Kalyanamastu' scheme of providing one tola gold in addition to financial assistance of Rs one lakh to girls from BPL families at the time of their marriage. He directed officials to prepare estimates on the funds required for all types of government welfare hostels being run by the government. He said funds would be released in 'green channel' (expeditious release of funds) as per the estimated expenditure. He instructed officials to furnish details on the government residential schools which are being run in rented buildings and also to identify lands for ...

World population up 75 million this year, topping 8 billion by January 1

The world population grew by 75 million people over the past year and on New Year's Day it will stand at more than 8 billion people, according to figures released by the US Census Bureau on Thursday. The worldwide growth rate in the past year was just under 1 per cent. At the start of 2024, 4.3 births and two deaths are expected worldwide every second, according to the Census Bureau figures. The growth rate for the United States in the past year was 0.53 per cent, about half the worldwide figure. The US added 1.7 million people and will have a population on New Year's Day of 335.8 million people. If the current pace continues through the end of the decade, the 2020s could be the slowest-growing decade in US history, yielding a growth rate of less than 4 per cent over the 10-year-period from 2020 to 2030, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution. The slowest-growing decade currently was in the aftermath of the Great Depression in the 1930s, when the growth rate

Stalin urges PM Modi to include caste census in decadal census exercise

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to integrate the caste census with the upcoming national decadal census. When implemented, the initiative would be a monumental step to take the benefits of development to the most vulnerable sections and build a stronger, more inclusive India, Stalin said, writing to Modi. Requesting Modi's personal intervention on the matter, he said integrating caste census with the proposed national decadal census alone could provide comprehensive and reliable data on the caste composition of society and its reflection in socio-economic indicators. "This will enable evidence-based policymaking, helping all of us to ensure equitable and inclusive development. Undertaking this task concurrently with the decadal census would not only ensure comparability of data across the nation but also optimise resource utilisation," Stalin said. "Hence, the union government should immediately plan and commence preparations for

Rahul Gandhi's caste census: Will the Congress gain from OBC politics?

The Congress was never an OBC party. Could the INDIA grouping of Opposition parties have convinced Rahul Gandhi and the Congress that a rising tide of OBC politics will lift all boats along with it?

CWC's caste census decision powerful step for liberation of poor: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the party's working committee has taken a "historic decision" unanimously to support the idea of a nationwide caste census, asserting that it is a "powerful step" for the emancipation of the poor. Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), Gandhi expressed confidence that a vast majority of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties will support and push for a caste census. If any party has a different opinion, the Congress is flexible, "not fascist", he added. Flanked by the party's chief ministers in four states, Gandhi also said the decision of the CWC to support a caste census is a "very progressive" and "powerful" step for the emancipation of poor people. Talking about the idea of caste census, the former Congress chief said this 'X-ray' is needed for a new paradigm and development in the country. Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked party workers

After Bihar, Rajasthan issues order for conducting caste survey in state

The Rajasthan government on Saturday issued an order to conduct a caste survey in the state. The order came just days after Bihar released the findings of its caste survey and ahead of the assembly polls in Rajasthan due later this year. Rajasthan, ruled by the Congress, will be the second state in the country to conduct such a population count. The order was issued by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment after the state cabinet's nod. According to the order, the Rajasthan government will conduct the survey with its own resources for collecting information and figures related to social, economic and educational level of all its citizens. The Department of Planning (Economic and Statistics) has been made the nodal department for the work. However, the order does not provide a time frame for the conduct of the population count. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told reporters that an order would be issued in this regard. On October 2, the birth anniversa

Chhattisgarh govt launches housing scheme for homeless families in state

The Chhattisgarh government will provide cemented houses for 47,000 poor people residing in rural areas of the state

After Bihar caste survey results, demand for nationwide census gets shrill

The survey found 81.99 per cent of Bihar's total population was Hindu, followed by 17.7 per cent Muslims

Conduct national caste census to ensure social justice, says Congress

The Congress on Monday welcomed the Bihar government's move to release the findings of a caste census and called upon the Centre to immediately conduct a similar exercise at the national level to ensure social justice and provide a firm foundation for social empowerment programmes. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the caste census of Bihar has proved that 84 per cent of people in the state are OBCs, SCs and STs and their share should be according to their population. "Out of 90 secretaries of the central government, only 3 are OBC, who handle only 5 per cent of India's budget. Therefore, it is important to know the caste statistics of India...," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the UPA government led by the Congress had conducted a census but its results were not published by the Modi government. "The Bihar government has just released the results of the Caste Survey conducted by it in the state. While welcoming the ...

Pak's Election Commission releases report on delimitation of constituencies

However, on September 1, the ECP had announced squeezing timelines of the delimitation exercise by 14 days to complete the process on Nov 30, instead of the scheduled Dec 1, Dawn reported

Penalised for demographic success? Strange case of states south of Godavari

Ahead of a delimitation exercise, the government would be well advised to pre-emptively make offers like greater regional autonomy or an unchanged Rajya Sabha to the southern states, writes T N Ninan

BJP wants to keep OBC's power in the hands of Adani: Rahul Gandhi

'Representation was low during Congress' rule, and that was wrong; representation is low under BJP, which is also wrong', says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Delayed for 1st time, census should begin immediately: Bihar CM Nitish

A day after the Centre asserted that the census would begin soon after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said the enumeration exercise should commence "immediately". The JD(U) supreme leader also said the census should have been completed in 2021, claiming that the "decadal census has been delayed in the country for the first time". Why wait for the 2024 Lok Sabha pollswhy not now? The decadal census should begin immediately. The Centre should start the enumeration exercise immediately," Kumar told reporters here when asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement on the census. Shah on Wednesday asserted that the census would begin soon after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "The enumeration exercise should have been completed in 2021. This is for the first time, the decadal census has been delayed in the country. There is no need to delay it further. We wanted a caste-based headcount along with the census but the Centre did not agree. ...

Delimitation pointless, says Gandhi; Amit Shah urges house to pass Bill

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister Amit Shah speak on the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. Highlights here

What is known about the Women's Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha so far

The Women's Reservation Bill is the first bill to be discussed in the new parliament building. Lok Sabha is scheduled to discuss and pass the Bill on Wednesday