Sonia demands govt to conduct population census at earliest

In her maiden Zero Hour intervention in the Rajya Sabha, senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi urged the government to complete the population census at the earliest, asserting that an estimated 14 crore Indians are being deprived of their rightful benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Gandhi argued that the current beneficiary lists are based on outdated data from the 2011 census, which fails to capture current population figures. Introduced in September 2013 by the UPA government, the NFSA was a landmark initiative designed to ensure food and nutritional security for the nation’s 140 crore people. The legislation has played a critical role in protecting millions of vulnerable households, particularly during crises such as the Covid pandemic. It also formed the foundation for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which provided subsidised food grains to those in need.

Under the NFSA, 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population are eligible to receive subsidised food grains. However, because beneficiary quotas are still determined by the decade-old census, many deserving individuals remain excluded. “We cannot allow the benefits of food security to be denied to citizens simply because the census has been delayed,” Gandhi stressed during her speech. “Food security is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right.”

For the first time in India’s history, the decennial census has been postponed by more than four years, despite its original schedule for 2021. Budgetary constraints and administrative delays have compounded the issue, leaving the government with no clear timeline for the updated census. As a result, an estimated 14 crore eligible Indians are missing out on crucial support under the NFSA.

Gandhi called on the government to make the immediate completion of the census a top priority. She urged authorities to expedite the process so that the beneficiary list can be updated, ensuring every eligible individual receives the assistance guaranteed by law. Her appeal underscores that food security is a right.