Census-2021 enumeration to feature 34 questions

Hyderabad: The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, (ORGI) has prepared a data form comprising 54 questions. Some of them include whether the individual’s house is own or rented, marble stone floor or tiles, bedroom attached bathroom or not, etc. The new census preparation is beginning a decade in advance as the enumeration will be taken up between April 1 and September 30 next year. The Indian population was 121 crore as per the last census carried out in 2011.

The data is not only pertaining to individuals but also records every structure in India. Even minute aspects of facilities that a family is utilising will be collected.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government says that such data collection helps the Centre to design and implement welfare schemes for the needy. The data will be a base for the Union Government to ascertain what types of facilities are needed for the public and funds required for implementing such schemes.

People belong to SC category from Hindu, Buddhism, and Sikh religions will be recorded officially. However, the officials will record STs regardless of their religion.

Citizens should answer several questions like how many couples within a family, how many bathrooms, how many rooms, whether the floor is of marble or granite, own house or rented. The reference date for population will be March 1, 2021, in most of the country and October 1, 2020, for Jammu and Kashmir and some areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

According to Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) rules -2003, sub-rule (4) of rule 3, the Union Government will update the population register and issue national ID cards. Enumerators will visit every house across the country, barring Assam, and collect details of every household and structure.