Census kicks off tomorrow

The gigantic 2011 Census exercise will begin on April 1 with President Pratibha Patil being the first person to share details, including information on the number of mobile phones, computers and internet connections in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The officials will, thereafter, record the status of an estimated 1.2 billion people across the country in the next one year. It will be the first time when census officials will record details of modern-day amenities—mobile phones, computers and internet connections —available to the people in their households. Besides data on demography and economic activity, the Census will also provide figures on literacy, fertility, mortality, language, religion, migration, and SC/STs. The entire exercise, which will begin with houselisting and housing census on April 1, will be done under statutory provisions of the Census Act, 1948. Under the Act, if anyone fails to cooperate in the exercise, he or she “can invite adverse consequences, including fines and punishments”. Registrar general and Census commissioner C Chandramouli said: “The information collected about individuals will be kept absolutely confidential. In fact, this information is not accessible even to courts of law. This provision is there to encourage people to give correct information in the Census without any fear.” Home secretary G K Pillai said the government has also decided to prepare a National Population Register (NPR)—an identity database of all residents—which will pave the way for providing a Unique Identity Number to individuals above the age of 15 and eventually making a National Register of Citizens. Besides carrying details on all residents, the NPR data will also contain a photograph and 10 fingers’ biometry of those above 15. ID cards will be provided to citizens above the age of 18 years after weeding out illegal immigrants who might have got entry into the NPR by any means. Pillai made it clear that no information will be collected on castes as no caste-based census has ever been conducted in independent India.