A population census is a crucial foundational task for a country to ascertain its population size, understand population dynamics, and formulate development policies. For a country like India, with its large population, vast territory, and complex social structure, it is even more significant. Over the past 15 years, India has experienced rapid urbanization, profound adjustments in its population structure, rapid economic development, and continuous changes in its social landscape. The population data from 2011 is severely outdated and cannot meet the needs of national governance and policy-making. The resumption of the national population census is both an urgent need for India to fill data gaps and overcome development bottlenecks, and an important measure to improve its national governance system and enhance governance effectiveness, attracting widespread attention from the global population research community and the international community.
Unprecedented scale, with digitalization and standardization proceeding in parallel.
The 16th Indian National Population Census, led by the Census Service of the Ministry of Home Affairs and coordinated by government departments and grassroots organizations in various states and union territories, was characterized by its large scale, long duration, innovative methods, and high requirements. It set new records in Indian population census history in terms of manpower, funding, technology application, and coverage.
In terms of scale, the census achieved nationwide coverage, encompassing all 36 states and 6 union territories, including remote areas such as Kashmir and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It involved over 640,000 villages and more than 2,000 cities and towns, covering an estimated population of over 1.4 billion. To ensure the smooth progress of the census, the Indian government mobilized approximately 3 million census workers. These personnel were mainly selected from grassroots government staff, teachers, and community volunteers, and underwent 1-2 weeks of professional training before being put into service. The training covered census procedures, data collection standards, operation of digital equipment, and privacy protection requirements, ensuring that every census worker was proficient in all aspects of the census work. In addition, the government has deployed approximately 500,000 supervisors to guide, supervise, and verify the census work across different regions, promptly resolving any issues that arise during the process and ensuring the authenticity and accuracy of the census data.
Regarding funding, the Indian central government has allocated approximately US$1.24 billion specifically for this census. This funding is primarily used for census personnel salaries, training costs, procurement of digital equipment, publicity and promotion, data processing, and security. State and federal territorial governments have also contributed matching funds based on their specific circumstances to ensure the smooth implementation of the census in their respective areas. Compared to the previous census in 2011, the funding for this census has increased by approximately 40%, partly due to the expanded scale and extended duration of the census, and partly due to the increased costs of equipment procurement and technology development resulting from the application of digital census methods.
Regarding the census period, this census will last for one year, proceeding in two orderly phases with seamless transitions and distinct focuses, ensuring a comprehensive, detailed, and efficient census. The first phase, "Preliminary Housing and Housing Conditions Survey and Registration," lasted three months, starting on April 1st and ending at the end of June. It focused primarily on the basic housing conditions of residents, including housing type (single-story houses, multi-story buildings, temporary housing, etc.), building structure (brick-concrete, brick-wood, earthen, etc.), living area, number of rooms, water supply (tap water, well water, river water, etc.), electricity supply (whether there is municipal power and its stability), sanitation facilities (whether there is a separate toilet and sewage treatment), ownership of various appliances (refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner, television, etc.), and internet access. This detailed survey of housing information established a unified national housing information database, laying the foundation for subsequent population registration work and providing data support for the Indian government to formulate housing policies and improve people's living conditions.
The second phase, "Comprehensive Population Registration," lasted nine months, starting on July 1st and ending at the end of March of the following year, and was the core component of this census. During this phase, census takers will register the personal and family information of each resident in great detail, including name, gender, age, date of birth, ethnicity, religious beliefs, education level (literacy, educational level), occupation type (agriculture, industry, service industry, etc.), income level, marital status (single, married, divorced, widowed, etc.), family relationships, whether they have migrated across regions (reason for migration, time of migration, original residence, current residence), whether they belong to vulnerable groups (disabled persons, impoverished persons, elderly people living alone, etc.), and whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and whether they have a history of chronic diseases, etc. Compared with the previous census, this population registration is more comprehensive, adding several indicators closely related to people's livelihood and development, and can more accurately reflect the actual situation of India's population.
To enhance resident participation and cooperation, the Indian central and local governments have conducted extensive publicity campaigns, utilizing various channels such as television, radio, newspapers, social media, community notices, and mobile publicity vehicles to promote the importance of the census, the census process, the scope of information collection, and privacy protection measures. This aims to guide residents to actively cooperate with the census and provide accurate information. At the same time, officials have emphasized that the census data will be strictly confidential and will not affect residents' normal lives or work, alleviating any concerns. Currently, the census is fully underway across India, with 3 million census takers working in batches to conduct door-to-door registration in urban and rural areas. For remote mountainous areas, border regions, and nomadic communities-areas with poor transportation and dispersed populations-special census plans have been developed, with dedicated personnel conducting door-to-door registration to ensure comprehensive and thorough coverage.
Increase key indicators, focusing on social development and equity
Compared to the previous national census in 2011, this Indian census not only achieved a digital upgrade in terms of technology, but also underwent many significant changes in census content, statistical indicators, and working methods. These changes not only align with the actual needs of India's social development but also reflect the Indian government's emphasis on population governance and social equity. Among these changes, the addition of caste information statistics, the improvement of livelihood-related indicators, and the optimization of the census model are the three most core changes in this census.
The most attention-grabbing change in this census is the complete inclusion of caste information statistics for the first time since 1931. The caste system is a long-standing social hierarchy in Indian society. Although India legally abolished the caste system after independence, caste concepts remain deeply ingrained in Indian society, and significant disparities persist between different caste groups in education, employment, healthcare, and resource allocation. The previous census in 2011 only included listed castes and listed tribes (the most disadvantaged groups in Indian society), failing to comprehensively register information on all castes. This resulted in the Indian government being unable to accurately grasp the development status of different castes, making it difficult to formulate targeted support policies and promote social equity.
This census explicitly includes information on all castes in its statistical scope. Census takers are required to accurately record the caste affiliation of each resident during door-to-door registration, including high castes, middle castes, low castes, and listed castes and tribes. Simultaneously, it collects information on education levels, employment status, income levels, and living conditions for different castes, forming a complete caste development data report. The Indian government stated that the purpose of fully including caste information in the statistics is to accurately grasp the development gap between different castes, identify the needs of disadvantaged groups, better promote social equity, formulate targeted support policies, narrow the gap between different castes, and promote social harmony and stability.
However, this measure has also sparked widespread discussion and controversy across Indian society. Supporters argue that caste discrimination persists in India, and comprehensive caste statistics would allow the government to better understand the living conditions of different caste groups, enabling targeted solutions to inequalities in education, employment, and healthcare, thus promoting social fairness and justice. For vulnerable groups, especially those in listed castes and tribes, accurate caste information would allow government assistance policies to be more precisely implemented, effectively improving their living conditions.
Opponents worry that this move could exacerbate caste divisions and trigger new social conflicts. Some NGOs, scholars, and members of the public argue that the caste system itself is an outdated social system, and comprehensive caste statistics would reinforce caste consciousness, further solidify social hierarchy, and hinder social integration and development. Furthermore, some lower-caste groups fear that having their caste information registered could lead to discrimination, affecting their rights to employment and education. Currently, several NGOs in India have lodged objections with the government, calling for respect for individual privacy and avoidance of caste discrimination during the census, while also demanding that the government clarify the scope of caste information use to ensure the data is not misused. In response to these controversies, the Indian Census Bureau stated that it will strictly regulate the collection and use of caste information, strengthen privacy protection, and address public concerns through public awareness campaigns to ensure the smooth progress of the census.
In addition to caste information statistics, this census has added and improved several indicators closely related to people's livelihoods, further enhancing the practicality and relevance of the census data. In the education sector, new indicators such as "higher education level" and "vocational skills training" have been added, moving beyond simply counting whether residents are literate or have received education to a more detailed understanding of their educational level and vocational skills. This provides data support for the Indian government to formulate education policies, promote vocational education development, and address employment issues. In the employment sector, new indicators such as "employment sector segmentation," "employment type (formal employment, informal employment)," and "monthly income range" have been added, more accurately reflecting India's employment structure, employment quality, and residents' income levels, providing a basis for the government to formulate employment support policies and optimize the industrial structure.
In the area of people's livelihood security, new indicators such as "whether they participate in social insurance," "whether they receive minimum living allowance," "disability level," and "history of chronic diseases" have been added, focusing on the living conditions of vulnerable groups and providing data support for the government to improve the social security system, promote medical reform, and carry out targeted assistance. In the area of population migration, new indicators such as "reasons for migration (employment, education, marriage, relocation, etc.)," "migration time," and "distance between original and current residence" have been added, enabling a clearer understanding of the patterns and trends of population migration in India and providing a basis for the government to optimize urban layout, improve infrastructure construction, and promote coordinated urban-rural development. These new and improved indicators make the data from this census more comprehensive and accurate, better meeting the needs of Indian government governance and people's livelihood development.
Regarding the census model, this census, in addition to "door-to-door registration," has added "self-reporting" and "online verification" models, optimizing the census process and improving its convenience and efficiency. The previous census mainly relied on manual door-to-door registration and manual filling, which was not only inefficient but also prone to data errors, and the data collection and verification cycle was also long. This census, leveraging digital technology, adopted a combined online and offline approach. Residents could choose to have census takers conduct door-to-door registration or fill out the forms online independently, greatly facilitating their participation. Simultaneously, an online verification mechanism was established to verify the collected data in real time, promptly identifying and correcting errors to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the data. Furthermore, this census strengthened inter-departmental collaboration, establishing data-sharing mechanisms with departments such as education, healthcare, employment, and social security to cross-verify census data, further enhancing data reliability.
In addition, this census optimized the statistical criteria for population statistics, clarifying the statistical standards for "resident population," "registered population," and "migrant population," avoiding the inconsistencies and data confusion of previous censuses. Moreover, considering India's frequent population movement and large nomadic population, a specific statistical plan was developed to ensure accurate registration of information on migrant and nomadic populations, preventing omissions and errors. These changes not only reflect the continuous improvement and progress of India's population census work but also demonstrate the Indian government's pursuit of refined and standardized population governance.
Filling data gaps and contributing to national governance and long-term development
In the education sector, outdated population data leads to an imbalance in the allocation of educational resources. In some areas, the number of schools is mismatched with the number of school-age children, with high-quality educational resources excessively concentrated in large cities, while rural and remote areas suffer from severe shortages, leaving many school-age children unable to access quality education. This census will accurately determine the number and educational levels of school-age children in different regions and age groups, as well as the educational resource needs of different areas. This will help the Indian government optimize the allocation of educational resources, rationally distribute schools, increase investment in education in rural areas, remote areas, and for disadvantaged groups, promote educational equity, and improve the overall education level of the population.
In the healthcare sector, lagging population data fails to accurately reflect the healthcare needs of different regions and age groups, resulting in insufficient basic healthcare facilities and wasted medical resources. For example, in some densely populated urban areas, medical resources are strained, and residents face significant difficulties and high costs in accessing healthcare; while in some sparsely populated rural and remote areas, medical facilities are underutilized, and medical resources are not being fully utilized. This census will enable the Indian government to understand the health status and medical needs of the population in different regions and age groups, helping it optimize the allocation of medical resources, increase investment in primary healthcare facilities, improve the medical service system, enhance the level of medical services, and effectively safeguard the health of residents.
In the employment sector, the lack of data on population age structure and occupational distribution makes it difficult for the Indian government to accurately implement employment support policies and effectively address youth employment pressures. India has one of the world's largest youth populations, and youth employment has always been a major challenge for the Indian government. This census will provide accurate information on the number, education level, vocational skills, and employment needs of the youth population, helping the Indian government to formulate targeted employment support policies, strengthen vocational skills training, optimize employment services, broaden employment channels, alleviate youth employment pressures, fully leverage the advantages of the youth population, and promote economic and social development.
Secondly, this census will help facilitate the rational allocation of resources and promote social equity. India has a large population and vast territory, with significant development gaps between different regions and groups, and the problem of uneven resource distribution is prominent. This census will enable us to accurately grasp the population size, population structure, socio-economic conditions, and needs of different groups in different regions, helping the Indian government to rationally allocate natural, public, and social resources, narrow the development gap between regions and groups, and promote social fairness and justice.
Furthermore, as the world's largest population census project, this census will provide valuable experience and results for global cooperation in population research and governance. As the world's most populous country, India's population development has a significant impact on global population patterns, economic development, and social progress. The digital census methods, comprehensive statistical indicator system, and strict privacy protection measures adopted in this census provide valuable experience for other countries conducting population censuses. At the same time, the population data obtained will provide important reference materials for global population research, support global population governance cooperation, and promote the coordinated development of global population, economy, and society.
Currently, the census work is progressing smoothly across India. Although it faces numerous challenges, including a large population base, vast territory, complex social structure, low cooperation from residents in some areas, and caste disputes, the Indian government is making every effort to ensure the smooth conduct of the census by strengthening organizational leadership, increasing publicity and promotion, improving support measures, and enhancing technical support. It is believed that with the joint efforts of all parties, this population census will be successfully completed, providing solid data support for India's national governance and long-term development.
Conclusion
Population is a core element of national development, and accurate population data is the prerequisite and foundation for optimizing resource allocation, promoting social equity, and formulating scientific development plans. For India, the successful completion of this census will not only help it clearly grasp core information such as population size, age structure, regional distribution, and socio-economic conditions, addressing livelihood challenges such as education, healthcare, and employment, and providing solid data support for national governance and long-term development, but it will also promote India's optimization of its development strategy, leverage its population advantages, and achieve high-quality economic and social development. Furthermore, as the world's most populous country, India's experience and achievements in this census will provide reference and lessons for other countries to conduct population censuses and promote population governance, contributing to global cooperation in population research and governance.
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