Census-related work on track, funds to be hiked once work begins: MHA

Allaying fears that the already delayed census exercise has been put on the backburner again, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has claimed that many of the census related preparatory activities have been completed and work on technological updates is in progress.

Clarifying its stance on the drastic cut in budgetary allocation for census-related operations for 2025-26 to only Rs 574 crore in the recently presented Union Budget, the MHA informed a parliamentary panel that the higher allocation of Rs 1,309 crore for 2024-25 was done in anticipation of the declaration of census and update of the National Population Register (NPR). However, the allocation was kept at a lower figure for the upcoming fiscal as the census was not declared.

“Additional funds will be sought according to the year-wise requirement as and when census exercise will be undertaken,” the ministry told the committee.

The MHA added that the proposed expenditure for 2025-26 encompasses various activities aimed at continuing preparatory work for the census and the NPR – including salary and allowance for officers and officials involved in Census, NPR, Civil Registration System (CRS), Sample Registration System (SRS), geospatial mapping, IT and language departments.

Additionally, the expenditure will be directed towards the operation and maintenance of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) data centre and security measures for the NRC in Assam, MHA sources said.

They further said that significant progress was made in the development of geospatial databases for the census, including the harmonisation of administrative boundaries in collaboration with the Survey of India and the creation of a centralised Census Mapping Portal for data management.

The committee noted that additional funds may be provided at the revised estimates stage for census-related activities, and recommended that the census work may be completed at the earliest.