Census (Amendment) Rules 2022 – Free PDF Download

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Census is a process related to demographics. It involves process of collecting, compiling, analyzing and disseminating demographic, economic and social data pertaining, at a specific time, of all persons in a country or a well-defined part of a country.
It provides the trends in population characteristics. The Indian Census is one of the largest administrative exercises undertaken in the world.
Census is a Union subject under Article 246 of India Constitution. It is listed at serial number 69 of the 7^th schedule of Indian constitution. Census is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948.

The primary tool of Census is the questionnaire that is developed over the years, taking into account the changing needs of the country.
Questionnaire is a list of questions that helps the government collect all the necessary details required about citizens.
Questionnaire has been evolving to enhance the credibility & quality of data including various socio-economic queries.
Name of person, relationship with the head of family, sex, date of birth, Age, Marital status, Religion, Minority status, mother tongue, literacy etc some of the fundamental questions which are asked by the enumerators.

Since independence, the decennial Census is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs.
Until 1951, the Census Organisation was set up on an ad-hoc basis for each Census.

The decennial Census of India has been conducted 15 times, as of 2011.
While it has been undertaken every 10 years, beginning in 1872 under British Viceroy Lord Mayo.
The first complete census was taken in Since then every 10 years census is carried out. Since 1951, independent Indian census is carried out by Ministry of Home affairs.
The slogan of Census 2021 was picked as- “Our Census – Our Future. This would be the first digital Census which will include Transgender details as well.

The decennial Census exercise, which was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be held for the first time both in the digital mode and through paper schedules (questionnaire/forms).
The first phase of Census 2021 — House listing and Housing Census along with updating the National Population Register (NPR) was scheduled to be held from April-September 2020 but was postponed indefinitely.
The second and main phase — Population Enumeration — was to be concluded by March 5, 2021 but it was also postponed.

The Union government has amended the Census Rules framed in 1990 to allow the details to be captured and stored in an electronic format and also to enable self-enumeration by respondents.
The original method of Census through house visits will also be held along with the option for self enumeration.
Around 30 lakh enumerators who are mostly government officials and government school teachers will each be assigned the responsibility to collect details of about 650-800 people through the online and offline modes.

Registrar-General of India notified the amended Census rules in the Gazette, which said that “a person may fill-up, complete and submit the census schedule through self-enumeration”.
- Self-enumeration “means filling-up, completion and submission of census schedule by respondents themselves”.
In a another amendment to Rule 5 of the Census rules, which deals with publishing of the Census statistics, the term “media” has been replaced with “electronic or any other media”.
The Centre has also inserted the phrase “print media, electronic media, social media” after “radio” while mentioning means for publicity of the Census.

National Population Register (NPR) is a complete list of the people who are residing in India. This involves both the citizens as well as the non-citizens. The National Population Register (NPR) will follow a three-pronged approach that involves updating the necessary data on
- Web portal
- Offline
- Mobile application
The respondent has to follow an authentication process to do the needful on the website. The portable application will display all the details to conduct the Census exercise. However, no biometrics and other such documents will be collected. These details will then be stored in the system for future use.
The NPR, earlier collated in 2010 and 2015, has an electronic database of more than 119 crore residents.