Around 2 per cent of the population is left out post any enumeration survey, said C. Chandramouli, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
“We cannot afford to miss them as every person is counted in a census. Difficult areas, difficult people … all these need special planning.”
He was talking at a seminar on ‘Census 2011 and National Population Register (NPR),' organised by the Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu, here on Friday.
Besides introducing biometric for the first time, an acknowledgement receipt would be given at the time of enumeration – another first for the Indian Census 2011.
“Introducing biometric system in the Indian census is more efficient where it establishes uniqueness in identity. We are not doing anything new but creating a data base that would talk to each other, be it for your ration card or electoral roll,” said Mr. Chandramouli, adding that, “the seventh census post-Independence is the largest administrative exercise and added to that is the NPR exercise.”
The authenticated list would be sent to Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDA) for issue of UID numbers. “Every other person would have an identity number and persons above 15 years would have an ID card. Today, it merely establishes who you are but in future there would be many other benefits,” he said.
The Commissioner said that the entire process would be completed by 2011 and cards would be issued by 2013.
Earlier, inaugurating the seminar K.S. Sripathi, Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu said for any democratic government whose main mandate is to serve the people a good database is essential to work out different schemes.
“Tamil Nadu has 16,000 villages with good road connectivity; this has been achieved because of good data,” he said.
In Tamil Nadu, the first phase would be held between June 1 and July 15, 2010 and the second phase between February 9 and 28, 2011. Nearly 1.5 lakh census officials would be engaged to carry out house listing and housing census 2010 and NPR 2010 as part of the first phase.
