No More Delays

• Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant Provisions and Basic Structure.

Context:

• India's Census, an exercise that has been faithfully conducted every decade since 1881, has now been delayed for an unprecedented period, raising concerns over the country's ability to accurately assess its socio-economic landscape.
• The government's consideration of expanding data collection to include caste enumeration, in response to demands from various political parties, further complicates an already delayed process.
• While caste data could offer valuable insights into social stratification, the hasty inclusion of such a variable without proper planning and infrastructure could lead to unreliable outcomes, much like the Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011, which was marred by inaccuracies.
• The Necessity of Timely Census: The Census is a critical tool for governance, underpinning a wide range of public policies, schemes, and statistical surveys.
• From the National Food Security Act to the National Social Assistance Programme, many welfare initiatives rely on up-to-date Census data to allocate resources effectively.
• The absence of current data hampers the ability to address the dynamic changes in migration, urbanization, and suburbanization, which have significantly altered India's demographic landscape in recent years.
• Global Context and Consequences of Delay: India's failure to conduct the Census places it alongside nations experiencing conflict, economic crises, or political turmoil—hardly a group with which the world's largest democracy should be associated.
• While 143 countries managed to conduct their Census post-2020 despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, India's repeated postponements, ostensibly due to boundary-freezing issues, reflect poorly on the government's administrative efficiency.
• The continual delay also raises concerns about the possible political motivations behind postponing this vital exercise, especially with the looming delimitation exercise scheduled for 2026.
• Impact on Public Policy and Data Reliability: Without the Census, India increasingly relies on a range of sample surveys to guide policy. However, these surveys often suffer from methodological inconsistencies and are vulnerable to selective interpretation, leading to debates and disputes that undermine their utility.
• As the 2011 Census data becomes obsolete, the absence of current, comprehensive data threatens the effectiveness of national planning and resource distribution.
• Conclusion: The Union government must prioritize the timely conduct of the Census, setting aside any political calculations that might further delay the process.
• Accurate and up-to-date demographic data are indispensable for effective governance and equitable policy-making. Moreover, before expanding the scope of the Census to include complex variables like caste, the government should ensure that the necessary infrastructure and planning are in place to avoid the pitfalls of past attempts.
• India's reputation as a well-governed democracy hinges on its ability to carry out such essential exercises efficiently and transparently. It is imperative that the government stops procrastinating and proceeds with the Census on a war footing.