Time for a Census, come what may
“Census data are essential for many purposes, including the implementation of welfare schemes. To illustrate, the number of people benefiting from subsidised food rations would increase by more than 100 million if updated census figures were available to revise the coverage of the National Food Security Act” File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Why has the 2021 Census been delayed for so long? Here is one plausible answer: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is delaying the Census because it wants to fast-track the “delimitation” exercise in anticipation of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
If this sounds absurd, think again. The 84th amendment of the Constitution clearly states that the next delimitation exercise is to be based on the first census after 2026. If the next census happens, say, in 2024 or 2025, then delimitation will have to wait until after the following census, i.e. sometime in the 2030s. So, if the BJP wants delimitation before the 2029 elections, then it must continue to drag its feet on the census until 2026 or even 2027 (since a 2026 census may not qualify as having taken place “after 2026”).
Published – June 19, 2024 01:32 am IST
