India's 2027 Census: A Digital Leap with Challenges
India's upcoming Census in 2027 will be the first fully digital enumeration exercise. The Population Foundation of India emphasizes the importance of strong safeguards to make the census inclusive, accurate, and equity-focused, addressing concerns about potential exclusion of marginalized communities and the need for caste-disaggregated data.
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The Population Foundation of India lauded the government's announcement of the country's first digital census scheduled for 2027. However, it emphasized the need for effective measures to ensure the census remains inclusive and avoids marginalizing certain communities.
The 16th Census, with caste enumeration, will occur in two phases, adapting to the unique needs of different regions. The Foundation stresses collecting caste-disaggregated data, crucial for understanding how caste dynamics affect access to essential services.
Executive Director Poonam Muttreja voiced concerns over digital self-enumeration potentially marginalizing rural households. She called for retaining in-person enumeration and creating gender-sensitive tools for more accurate representation of women's data.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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