Census was delay as a consequence of Covid, its aftershock, says Union govt

Jun 06, 2025 07:51 AM IST

The residence ministry additionally sought to deal with considerations raised by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin about Census-linked delimitation train

The census was delay as a result of Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted all sectors throughout the globe, and its “aftershock”, the ministry of residence affairs stated on Thursday, a day after the Union authorities introduced that the long-delayed train might be carried out in two phases earlier than March 1 2027.

A census official collects info from a family in Guwahati in 2011. (AP)(AP)

The ministry additionally sought to deal with considerations raised by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin about Census-linked delimitation train, saying that residence minister Amit Shah has clarified on many events that considerations of southern states might be addressed at an acceptable time.

The Census was presupposed to be carried out in 2021 and all of the preparations for the train had been accomplished, a press release from the ministry stated. “…however, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, the Census work was postponed. The aftershock of Covid-19 continued for quite some time,” it stated, additional explaining that nations which carried out Census instantly after Covid-19 confronted points on “quality and coverage” of knowledge.

While the opposition has questioned the delay within the train, the MHA stated that had that train been carried out within the fast aftermath of the pandemic, it could have adversely affected the schooling sector.

“COVID disrupted all sectors including education. Around 30 lakh enumerators are needed for Census. Enumerators, who are primary school teachers, are key persons for conducting Census. Conducting Census after Covid could have disrupted primary education immensely,” the assertion by the ministry stated.

The MHA added that the finances has by no means been a constraint for conducting the Census as allocation of funds is all the time ensured by the federal government.

India’s sixteenth Census with caste enumeration might be carried out in 2027 with the reference date of October 1, 2026, in snow-bound areas like Ladakh and of March 1, 2027, in the remainder of the nation.

It has been determined to conduct the Population Census-2027 in two phases, together with the enumeration of castes, the MHA introduced on Wednesday.

Following the announcement, the Congress stated there was no motive to delay the train for an additional 23 months. In a publish on X, Congress normal secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh stated, “…The Modi Government is capable only of generating headlines, not meeting deadlines.”