The dotcom age has irrefutably revolutionised the way we function and now it is creating waves in the execution of the colossal
Census of India 2011 exercise. With the introduction of the National Population Register (NPR) by the Census Commission for the first time ever in history, this census has set a landmark as now getting precise population data will be just a click away! That apart, a Unique Identification card will be provided to each individual. Terming the NPR as the biggest exercise, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has stated that no country has ever tried to count, identify and issue identity cards to more than a billion people. Bureaucracy Today talks to Registrar General and Census Commissioner C Chandramouli, the man spearheading the monumental exercise. The Government, for the first time, has meted out a huge amount of moolah on preparing the NPR, which will have photographs and fingerprints of everyone above the age of 15 years. Please tell us more about the finer nuances in detail.
The NPR calls for formulation of an automated database having identity minutiae of all individuals along with their photographs and finger biometrics. The information will then be used by the Government to issue an identity card of 16 digit number to everyone. The Census will be carried out in two phases. Phase I, called House listing or Housing Census, will be conducted from April to July this year, covering all the States and Union Territories of India. Questions about the name, date of birth, sex, present address, permanent address, nationality, names of father, mother and spouse will be asked at every household. As cell phones and the Internet have become indispensible in our lives, the information will also be collected based on these parameters. This data will then be used in the preparation of the NPR. Before doling out the I-cards, the primary information, biometric data and the photos of the individuals surveyed will be handed over to the Unique ID Authority of India and the authority will examine the data and match it with the national database to evade repetition.
How Big is the Exercise | ||
| Particulars | 2001 | 2011 |
| States/UT | 35 | 35 |
| Districts | 593 | 640 |
| Tehsils | 5463 | 5567 |
| Towns | 5161 | 7742 |
| Villages | 593732 | 608786 |
| Population | 1.03 Bn | 1.20 Bn |
What is the primary difference between NPR and Census data?
The core idea behind the census and NPR is the compilation of data, but information gathered through both exercises will serve different purposes. While the Census data is amassing demographical details of the country, the NPR involves the making of a complete identity database for the country.
What are the efficacies of the novel concept of the NPR?
The NPR along with the Census database will play a key role in easing the hackles involved in receiving the benefits and services under Government schemes. That apart, an all-inclusive database will help in planning and fortifying the security of the country. Documentation can become more hassle-free as it will remove the requisites of multiple personal documents.
What is the major challenge involved in this entire process?
The foremost challenge is universal coverage of every usual resident without omission or duplication. We really need to keep a tab on it.
The old debate on caste-based census again took the centrestage with the Kerala High Court admitting a PIL seeking a directive to conduct a caste-based enumeration in the Census 2011. What is your take on it?
This is a policy decision of the Government and I would not like to further comment on it.
