2021 Census of India


The 2021 Census of India, also the 16th Indian Census, will be taken in 2021. The 15th Indian Census taken in 2011, attempted to estimate the population based on Socio-Economic and Caste Status for the first time since 1931. However, as the enumeration was based on recording the respondents' declaration, it led to creation of hundreds of thousands of caste/subcaste categories. For the 16th Indian census, the government is instead considering enumeration based on a list of OBCs notified by each state.
In April 2019, a data user conference was held and it was announced that 330,000 enumerators will be enlisted and that they would be encouraged to use their own smart phones, although a paper option will also be available, which the enumerators will then need to submit electronically. It was further announced that house listing will be conducted between April and September 2020, with actual enumeration in February 2021 and a revision round in March. The reference date will be 1 March 2021 in most of the country and 1 October 2020 for Jammu and Kashmir and some areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
It has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Caste Enumeration in Census

In September 2018, the then Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, announced that the 2021 census will have Other Backward Class data, for the first time since the 1931 census. Despite this announcement, the questionnaire presented in July 2019 did not have a specific OBC category. Several state legislative assemblies passed resolutions for collecting OBC data including the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Odisha Legislative Assembly and Bihar Legislative Assembly, while the government of Uttar Pradesh, rejected the opposition's demand to pass such a resolution. On 29 February 2020, central government refused to conduct caste census despite demands from states. Despite Centre's rejection, Maharashtra legislators were adamant for caste based census at least in the state. Protest march in support of OBC census was carried out in Jammu and Kashmir. Minister of State Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale also demanded carrying of census counting every single caste in India.

NPR

will be linked to this census with preparations beginning from April 2020. NPR will be conducted along with the first phase of Census between April to September 2020.