Update NPR to enumerate self during next Census

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is National Population Register (NPR)?
• What is the Legal basis of NPR?
• Census in India
• What is the Legal/Constitutional basis of Census?
• What is the Process of census enumeration?
• News Summary: Update NPR to enumerate self during next Census
• Key highlights

 

Why in news?

• According to a collection of reports released by the Union Home Minister, self-enumeration for Census will be provided to only those households that have updated the National Population Register (NPR) online.
• These reports were released on May 21 at the inauguration of a new Census building in Delhi.

 

What is National Population Register (NPR)?

• The NPR is a register of usual residents of the country. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR.
  • According to the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, a usual resident is:
    • a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more; or
    • a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more.
  • It includes both Indian citizens as well as a foreign citizen.
• The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country.
• The first National Population Register was prepared in 2010 and updating this data was done during 2015 by conducting door to door survey.
  • The next National Population Register shall be held along with the Census 2021.
  • Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the work of NPR updation and other related field activities got postponed.
• NPR is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) under the Home Ministry.
• As per the Union Home Ministry, data collected under the NPR are shared with States. It is also used by the Central government for various welfare schemes at the individual level.

 

What is the Legal basis of NPR?

• NPR is prepared under Rule 3 of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
  • These rules were framed under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• The NPR is different from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) which excludes the foreign citizens.
  • NRC is a register containing details of Indian Citizens living in India and outside India.

 

Census in India

• About
  • Population Census provides basic statistics on state of human resources, demography, culture and economic structure at local, regional and national level.
  • Beginning in the year 1872, when the first census was conducted non-synchronously, the census enumeration exercise in India is carried out in every 10 years.
    • The first synchronous census was taken under British rule in 1881, by W.C. Plowden, Census Commissioner of India.
  • The responsibility of conducting the decadal census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Ministry of Home Affairs.
• 2021 Census
  • The Census enumeration, which was scheduled to take place in 2021, has been postponed indefinitely due to Covid-19 pandemic.
    • The government has not announced when the next Census will be held, with a January 2, 2023 notification ruling out the exercise at least till September.
  • When it is conducted, it will be the 16th in series and 8th after independence.
  • Also, it will be the first digital Census giving citizens an opportunity to “self-enumerate”.

 

What is the Legal/Constitutional basis of Census?

• Population census is listed in Union List (entry 69) of Seventh Schedule in Indian Constitution.
• Census is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948.

 

What is the Process of census enumeration?

• The Census Operations in India have been carried out in two phases:
  • Houselisting and Housing Census and
  • Population Enumeration.
• The Population Enumeration follows the Housing Census within a gap of six to eight months.
• In Population Enumeration phase each person is enumerated and her/his individual particulars like Age, Marital status, Religion, mother tongue etc.

 

News Summary: Update NPR to enumerate self during next Census

• If citizens want to exercise the right to fill the Census form on their own rather than through government enumerators, they will have to first update their National Population Register (NPR) details online.
• This was highlighted by the collection of reports released by the Union Home Minister during the inauguration of a new Census building in Delhi.

 

Key highlights

• Web-based self-enumeration (SE) portal developed
  • The Office of the Registrar of General of India (ORGI), which conducts the Census, has developed a “self-enumeration (SE)” portal.
  • This portal is presently available in English only.
• Mobile-friendly portal yet to be launched
  • The yet-to-be-launched mobile-friendly portal will allow users to register the mobile number in the NPR database, self-enumerate and fill the details under House-listing Operations.
• Benefits
  • With this, respondents can update the details of their family members online without the help of an enumerator.
  • This will ensure privacy and will also help to reduce financial and administrative burden incurred in collection of field data.

 

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Q1) What is the importance of census enumeration exercise?

Census is the basis for reviewing the country's progress in the past decade on socio-economic parameters, monitoring the ongoing schemes of the government and plan for the future.

 

Q2) Who are usual residents of India?

 According to the Citizenship Rules, 2003, a usual resident is: a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more; or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more. It includes both Indian citizens as well as a foreign citizen.

 

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Source: Update NPR to enumerate self during next Census | Census Division | Office of Registrar General and census Commissioner