[Reader-list] 2011 CENSUS: Real time population data at a click of the mouse- 205

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear All

I remember vividly that during my first meeting with the officials of
the RGI back in 2005, officials were talking in hushed skeptical tones
about a possibility of a real time census. Four years later it seems
that the skepticism has been replaced by a sense of self belief.

The draft proposals for individual identification prepared by the
officials of the  RGI  point towards the amount of hard work and the
meticulous planning that seems to have gone behind the idea of
creating  the first systematic database of a billion Indians. The idea
is to let go of decennial census altogether in place of that get the
data updates as it happens. Census at the click of a mouse. Now that
is something to think about isn't it. The number of assumptions in
this sort of an assertion seems to be that, everybody is identified,
there is a classification of all Indians and all non-indians, a unique
identification number is distributed to all Indians and to all
non-Indians, all births are registered, all deaths are registered too,
all the entries in birth and and death registers are correct, there is
absolute order, efficiency and no defects in all data entries. Then
yes! maybe we could think census is a mouse click away.

In India we worship mouse, our Lord Ganesha's carrier. There's a story
which goes that how Kroncha, a god, once enraged Muni Vamdeva, by
accidentally stepping on his feet. Vamdeva cursed him to become a
mouse. Kroncha begged for mercy. Vamdeva suggested that he should
serve Ganesha to be truly forgiven. But Kroncha was not an ordinary
mouse, he was big and strong. He destroyed everything that came in his
path. Ganesha at that point was staying with the sage Parashara and
his wife Vatsala. When Ganesha came to know about this giant mouse and
his tales of destruction he sent his pasha, a noose. Now Ganesha's
pasha was so bright, that they say, its light filled the entire
universe. This light blinded Kroncha. And thus he was subdued.

Just as Ganesha's noose subdued a mouse on a destruction spree who in
fact was a God incarnate, so to, do we not need a strong healthy
debate on NPR much like a Ganesha's noose to capture these mouse click
infested dreams of RGI?

Warm regards

Taha


http://www.morungexpress.com/public_discourse/31406.html

2011 CENSUS: Real time population data at a click of the mouse

Theja Therieh

Census 2011, the country’s 15th census and the seventh after
independence may be the last such gigantic exercise for population
enumeration in India which has been a regular drill every 10 years
since 1872. Census 2011 would be the Government’s vital data to target
its various schemes and programmes besides providing key insights into
the country’s demographic profile. If the government has its way, the
country will move to a new era of having a “real time population data”
post-2011 - making it possible to have ready to use accurate
population data at a mere click of the mouse at any point of time and
any place.

The shift will be possible as the government is planning to merge the
preparation of the electronically-guided National Population Register
(NPR) with the 2011 Census. The NPR will subsequently be linked to the
system of registration of births and deaths in the country and the
process will update the data using every addition and deletion of
birth and death including socio-economic data – such as literacy and
occupation figures - may also be updated in the NPR as per change in
profile of individuals being recorded in the ongoing Multi-Purpose
National Identity Card Scheme (MNIC) or Unique Identification card
(UID Card) with photograph and finger biometrics.

Since the NPR will have specified characteristics of each individual
along with the photograph and finger biometrics, the register will
provide a more comprehensive and accurate data to demographers and
experts. The idea to have new system in place of the traditional
approach of population enumeration gained ground within the government
in the wake of number of discrepancies reported in the 2001 Census. In
this connection, the State of Nagaland had earlier rejected the 2001
census and that the assembly had passed a unanimous resolution
objecting the data published by Census Commission of India due to
irrational patterns of demographic shift. The Chakhesang Public
Organization had filed PIL at Gauhati High Court objecting use of 2001
census for any constitutional exercises including Delimitation of
constituencies on the basis of erroneous census report. The Gauhati
High Court had taken legal notice that proceeding on the basis of such
data would have constitutionally undesirable fall out on the electoral
process. The Chakhesang Public Organisation had submitted several
representations to the Government of India to do away with the
discrepancies and conduct fresh census. The then Honourable Union Home
Minister admitted to the shortcomings of the traditional method. He
said, “The real test of quality of data comes when it is used for
application in the real life situations. In the delimitation exercise
which has been completed for most of the states in the country, doubts
have been raised about the population data in 2001 census in certain
states.”

Nagaland which has recorded highest growth rate in the country has put
the whole nation to shame and disgrace since the population is far
from reality and could not be use for any constitutional purposes.
Owing to the absurdity of the census figure, the entire exercise of
delimitation in the four North Eastern States including Jharkhand
State were exempted from constitutional exercise which means,
delimitation exercise will practically be possible only after 2026. If
the same trend of exaggeration continues in census operations in the
State, we will be deprived of national exercises and the whole
Government structure and machineries may collapse due to want of
reliable statistics. Not to talk about national exercises, the State
is rendered handicapped to determine the status of the tribes and
zones in absence of acceptable statistics, be it in education, health,
literacy, economy and job representations in the Government services
which are the basic components in the census. The State departments
are literally handicap in making proposals and projections since there
is no rational census data. The State planning is worst affected since
the basic components to gauge and evaluate are missing. Today we have
numerous census taken by almost all the State departments particularly
Rural Development, Health & Family Welfare, Agri & Allied departments
etc. due to lack of master census in the State. Nevertheless, all such
independent census varies from one another. Nothing can replace
rational and reliable census that can guide and provide yardstick for
the programs and policies towards good governance and transparency.

As per the existing guidelines, enumeration of both Indian citizens
and foreign nationals can be obtained and published by the census
commission. The names of foreign nationals or illegal immigrants can
be well identified in the National Population Register who will be
screened in the Unique Identification process. This will help the
State machineries to identify the infiltrators any time as per the law
of the land.

In fact, the 2001 Census enumeration cost Rs 1,403 crore to the
country’s exchequer. The expenditure will be higher in 2011 when the
population of the country is expected to be around 1.20 billion. If
the entire exercise fails to provide reliable materials, the efforts
of draining the nation’s exchequer is meaningless and a total waste.

I personally don’t understand what benefit the people of any
particular section or region in the long term through manipulation of
census data. It is merely self defeating and misleading to the state
and nation as it destroys the working mechanisms.

Now, the much talk about 2011 census has begun with pre-test for
Census of India-2011 been conducted from 28th June to 17th August,
2009 in all the states and Union territories in the country. This is
one last opportunity to produce accurate and reliable census for
posterity. I urge the State Government to take necessary steps and
gear up for the successful census operation in the State. What is
urgently needed now is to nominate competent officer to the post of
Director of Census Operations in Nagaland and subordinates. It is
equally important to create public awareness and educate the citizens
to justly participate in the fundamental exercise of the nation. I
appeal to all conscious citizens of Nagaland to rise on this occasion
and extend all possible help and co-operation to make census operation
a success. This may be one such opportunity for the Churches in
Nagaland to participate and create awareness for this gigantic task of
census operations in Nagaland.

Let us participate in the census operations religiously and sincerely.
Correct census can be an important tool to check corruptions,
favoritisms, manipulations and criminal activities at all levels.
Statistics is the basic structure to facilitate free, fair,
accountable and good governance. “Enumerate once is a duty for every
citizen, multiple enumeration is a crime”