Explainer: What happens before, during & after the Census exercise?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 30, 2019
The Census exercise is not just about the data that is released after the analysis. There is a huge planning exercise that is involved. Here is an explainer about what happens before, during & after the Census exercise.
India’s decennial population census is one of the largestadministrative activity in the world. Collecting socio-economic informationwith various parameters for a population of 130+ crores requires extensiveplanning and execution.  Factly has in an earlier story highlighted the evolution of the census in India over the years and thepremise for upcoming 2021 census. In this explainer, we focus on the processesinvolved in the planning and execution of the census exercise.
Preparatory work forms the most critical and extensive
phase of census activity
The population census activity involves multipleactivities which are carried on in sequential phases as listed in the belowdiagram.
The Preparatory Phase
The first phase of the census activity isthe Preparatory phase where all the planning and groundwork for the ensuingenumeration activity takes place. There are multiple activities involved inthis phase , whose goal is to ensure that everything is in place by the timethe census enumeration activity begins on the ground.
a. Legislation
The census activity is backed bylegislation as per Census of India Act, 1948. The activities are kick-started by thenotification issued by the Central government in accordance section 3 in the Census Act. Government of Indiahas released the notification for Census for 2021, which has set in motion thecensus activity. The law makes it obligatory on the part of citizens toanswer the questions truthfully.
b. Universal Coverage of Area & Identification of House holds
One of the major objectives of anypopulation census exercise is to ensure that every area is covered and alsodoes not overlap. Hence, one the key preparatory activity involves locatingevery local area and to ensure that resources are in place to cover the wholearea for enumeration.
While the focus of a population census isto enumerate every individual, a household is considered as the operationalunit for enumeration. A household is referred to as a group of persons living together. An entire house canbe occupied by a single household or can be shared by multiple households.  A delimitation of the territory would beundertaken to account for every single household.
House -numbering is a critical activity inthe build-up to the census activity. A distinct House-listing activity is takenup prior to the census. This activity would take place during the latter halfof 2020.
c. Determining territorial units
The territorial units for which the primarycensus data needs to be presented is finalised. These territorial units include– villages, towns, blocks, tehsils, talukas, districts etc. Determining theseterritorial blocks would help in developing the census organization and todemarcate the jurisdiction of the hierarchy involved in the census activity.
Any delimitation or changes to theterritories in respect to the creation of new villages, towns or districts etc.are identified in the activity. A circular for this activity for ‘Census 2021’ has already beenissued.
Demarcation of rural and Urban areas, formation of Urban Agglomerations, demarcating villages etc. are part ofthe preparatory activity.  Location codesare identified for each of the villages, talukas, districts and urban areaswhich helps in easy enumeration as well as analysis.
d. Preparing Maps
After the finalization of the territorialunit, maps are prepared to help in demarcating the boundaries including that ofthe country, states, districts, talukas, cities and villages. These maps wouldhelp the census officers to identify their jurisdiction limits. The Mapdivision of ORGI (Office of Registrar General of India) takes up this activity.This activity for 2021 census has  begunwith a circular issued on 10 May , 2019. The territorial boundaries need tobe frozen prior to the initiation of enumeration.
e. Census organization
and personnel
Population census is handled by Office ofRegistrar General & Census Commissioner India, which is under the aegis ofthe Home Ministry. Census Commissioner of India heads the operation. VivekJoshi has been recently appointed as the Census Commissioner. The Census ofIndia Act , 1948 has provisions for the appointment of various officers at different levelsin view of the territorial jurisdiction as well as in line with theresponsibilities. In-charge officers, supervisors and enumerators are alsoappointed specifically for the purpose of census activity.
There are 33 directorates of Census Operation inIndia, which work under the aegis of Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner.
Around 33 lakh teachers are expected to take up the responsibilityof enumerators for the activity.
f. Census Schedules
After due consultation with variousdepartments and stakeholders, a questionnaire is developed which is used by theenumerators to seek information from the households. Printing and distributionof the census schedules used to be a major activity in earlier census, which isplanned to be excluded with the implementation of mobile application for thiscensus. While the questionnaire to be used for 2021 census is yet to befinalised, a sample questionnaire was used as part of the pre-test census.
g. Training
Training the enumerators and the officersat different levels is important for the successful conduct of the census activity.There could be personnel who have already participated in the  earlier census activity as well as newpersons , irrespective of which trainings are conducted to make everyone awareof the new questionnaire and new procedures to be followed. With the implementationof digitalization, training presumes greater importance for the upcomingcensus.
h. Publicity
Active participation of the entirepopulation being enumerated play an important role in ensuring that the datacollected is accurate and complete. Publicity campaigns to increase theawareness are undertaken.
Digitalization being introduced for enumeration
All the preparatory work which is being done is to aidthe enumeration activity. As announced by Home Minister earlier, digitizationwould be introduced in 2021 census. The procedures involved in enumeration inview of the new technology being used, are yet to be finalised by Office ofRegistrar General of India.
‘Canvasser’ method has been in practice for enumerationwherein the enumerator visits each household to record the answer in theschedule/App. There is a reference date which is set based on which theenumerator records the information. The reference date for 2021 census is 01 March, 2021.
Each enumerator has the jurisdiction determined. Allthe households allotted for the specific enumerator need to be completed andthe information needs to submitted to the respective supervisor who monitorsthe activity under the respective jurisdiction. The hierarchy continues withthe central directorate supervising the whole enumeration activity.  The digitization of enumeration is expected toease the activity, especially relating to the physical maintenance of thecensus schedules.
Data Processing and analysis of data is done prior to
the release of the census data.
All the efforts put in the preparation for census andthe enumeration would come to nought if the data thus collected is notprocessed and analysed. There are various tables which are prepared as part ofthe census. The enumeration data which is collected is tabulated into thesespecific tables.
Until 2011 Census, physical schedules were used tocollect the information, which was then entered into a digital format for thedata to be analysed and sorted into different tables.
The digital collection of the data is expected toreduce the time taken to process, analyse and publish the census data. For the2011 census, it took nearly 7 years for few of the datasets to be released tothe public.
The Census report is prepared and published highlighting key information along with theirobservation about the various trends in the population.
Data about various types of information – Economic,Socio-cultural, fertility, migration etc. are published as different tables foreasier understanding and analysis.
Mammoth activity that needs planned and coordinated
effort
As highlighted earlier, undertaking the census for130+ crore population in a country as diverse as India with its varied physicaland cultural landscape is a humongous activity. It has to be appreciated thatno decennial census has been missed since the inception , which is a reflectionof the effective planning and execution of the government machinery, especiallywith Office of Registrar General of India, who plan and co-ordinate the wholeeffort.
Even though the enumeration would be digitized andexpected to reduce the effort, the preparation activity involved would still bevery important and becomes more complex as we grow as a nation.