This year, for the first time the door-to-door enumeration is being clubbed with collecting data for unique identification cards (UIDs).
The Centre’s indication that it is open to a caste-based census enumeration or to have a special column for other backward classes (OBCs) on the census forms will, in all probability, not be incorporated in the ongoing census exercise in Mumbai which kicked off on May 1.
“All schedules were printed and supplied two months ago. If at all the government decides on a caste-based enumeration, it can be conducted only in February 2011, when the final count begins for all India,” said Dr GT Ambe, city census officer.
In states like Goa and Delhi, census operations began on April 1 and will end on May 15.“So if one were to include a caste-based census enumeration, it will be included between February 9 and 20 when the all India census count begins. The census we are conducting now is to get an estimate,” Ambe said, adding that the columns for scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) were already present on the forms.
This year, for the first time the door-to-door enumeration is being clubbed with collecting data for unique identification cards (UIDs). The 38,000 enumerators started going door-to-door from May 1 and will continue until June 15. Each enumerator will cover 150 houses in 45 days.
Meanwhile, the caste-based census issue has caused some problems for prime minister Manmohan Singh who gave the nod for a census for OBCs.
He is now confronted with challenges within the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Highly placed sources in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) revealed, “We recognise there is no question of reversing the process. The matter had come up in parliament where members across party lines voiced support for the inclusion of a column for the OBC category in the census exercise. Now that the prime minister has given his consent, the next step will be to get it unanimously passed in the union cabinet.”
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