Book explores evolution, future of census in India

A book titled 'Population Census in India – A Futuristic Perspective' was released at the 10th Chandigarh Social Science Congress. It is co-authored by Seema Jain, Secretary to the Government of India, and Madhav Shyam, former Deputy Director of the Census of India. The book has been published by Routledge Taylor and Francis Group and was unveiled by Prof Renu Vig, Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University.

Advertisement

The book explores the evolution of census methodologies in India since the first census in 1872. It examines pre-census activities, such as planning, questionnaire formulation, enumeration, urban-rural classification, house numbering and mapping. It also discusses training strategies, instruction manuals, and publicity efforts, providing a detailed insight into the census framework.

It includes a foreword by Jayant Kumar Banthia, former Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India for the 2001 Census and former Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra. The book also features a compilation of population and housing census questionnaires used over the years with observations on their development.

The authors believe the book will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and scholars in population studies, development studies, human geography, and public policy.