Census paused ’till further orders’ says govt as India gains ‘most populous’ tag

The Central government has put Census 2021 on hold ‘until further orders’. The massive survey exercise was slated to take place nearly three years ago, but has been delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The development also comes at a time when India is believed to have overtaken China as the world's most populous country. 

“Due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the conduct of Census 2021, updating of National Population Register and the related field activities have been postponed until further orders,” Mos Home Nityanand Rai said today.

He was responding to a question posed by Congress MP Abdul Khaleque on Tuesday.

The housing listing phase of the census and the exercise to update the National Population Register were scheduled to be carried out across the country from April to September 2020.

The first synchronous Census was conducted in 1881 and thereafter it has taken place every ten years. However, with the pandemic interrupting administrative work, the last census was conducted in 2011.

Earlier in January this year officials had indicated that there would be further delays in the decennial exercise. 

The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India conveyed to the states and UTs that the date of freezing of administrative boundaries has been extended till June 30. Norms dictate that the census can be conducted only three months after the freezing of boundary limits of administrative units such as districts, sub-districts and tehsils.

(With inputs from agencies)