NEWS  Census data in India are losing their relevance in the development agenda.

CONTEXT

• • India is busy debating the caste census when the regular Census itself has not been conducted owing to the pandemic.
  • On the other hand, various elections have been held, and people gathered together at large rallies flouting COVID-19 norms, while the Census has still not been conducted.

• This is the first time that India has not conducted its decadal Census since the exercise began.

SIGNIFICANCE OF CENSUS

• Despite the decadal nature of the data, the inter-Censal and postCensal information could very well be generated with interpolation and extrapolation.
• Further, the fundamental demographic attributes around which the Census data are structured offer a lot of scope for interpretation and exploration for understanding future trends as well.
• The pseudo cohort inspection of the Census data can go a long way in informing us of the changing dynamics of population attributes over time.
• The fascination and engagement with the Census have been quite limited to two concerns: sex ratio and work participation (female work participation in particular).
  • But the Census data, if explored intelligently and systematically without the limitation of survey-based data sets like biases, errors and representational issues, have much more potential.

LOSING SIGNIFICANCE

• Census-based information was important at a time when there was no alternative way of gauging the dynamics of population change alongside its varied features like employment, education, etc.
  • But now alternative sources of information have enriched our understanding of population dynamics and facilitated focused interventions through programmes and policies the Census has lost its potential relevance.
• Its importance is further diminished when numerous large-scale surveys are funded by the various ministries of the Government of India.
  • These surveys are conducted periodically and the Census, at best, serves as a framework for designing these surveys.
• Despite having huge potential, collection of limited information, and the under-utilisation or non-utilisation of Census data, have limited the role of the Census in policymaking.
• The other fundamental reason why the Census has lost significance is because the data collected are not disseminated on time, despite the use of technology.
  • The primary reason for this is that the government regulates the release of the numbers based on its calculations of whether or not the Census data have the potential to harm the political agenda.
  • For instance, the data on internal migration collected in the 2011 Census were made available to the public only when the Chief Economic Advisor decided to write a chapter for the Economic Survey 2016-17 in 2017.
• Also, there is also a lack of interest by the scientific community in a nuanced exploration of the data.

CENSUS AS A SOURCE OF CHARACTERISTIC INFORMATION

• The primary axes of disaggregation of Census-based information are residence, age, gender, administrative units, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and religion.
• Apart from such disaggregation, the Census offers two units of analysis: at the individual level and at the household level.
  • These may appear quite limited, but a lot can be inferred from these attributes of disaggregation.
• These disaggregated attributes serve a purpose, i.e., help policymakers make interventions, if any.

WAYFORWARD

• • There is a need to improve the design of the Census.  A digital Census would ensure better quality, coverage and quick results in this digital age.
  • Counting ascribed identities like caste and religion is perhaps less progressive than counting achieved identities or capability attributes like education and profession and other tangible endowments like the ownership of land, house and other consumer durables.
    • Ascribed status/identity is a term used in sociology that refers to the social status of a person that is assigned at birth or assumed involuntarily later in life.
  • Associating any adversity with an ascribed identity may at best help focus the intervention but the effort should be on addressing the adversity irrespective of the identity.
    • Injustice or wrongdoings need not necessarily be associated with ascribed attributes.
  • Going beyond this association and examining the failure in entitlements and circumstantial differences will perhaps be more effective in thinking of interventions and in addressing concerns.
    • A better example to this effect is blaming certain minority communities for high fertility rates rather than identifying the real reason for the same in terms of socio-economic exclusion.

• On the whole, count and characteristics are equally important, but the characteristics that are modifiable hold the key towards change.

CONCLUSION

• Census being a more-than-century-old decadal exercise, is a matter of pride and distinction for this country.
• Unfortunately, instead of tapping its potential in policymaking, concerns are being raised about counting the castes and minorities, in order to help political masters serve their own interests.
  • Thus, reducing this potent exercise to just a count of the population is a great pity.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/what-counts-is-seldom-counted/article36598320.ece