CENSUS OF INDIA 2011
CHALLENGES & ACHIEVEMENTS
DR C CHANDRAMOULI, IAS
REGISTRAR GENERAL
&
CENSUS COMMISSIONER OF INDIA
30th October 2013
GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME
100%
coverage
No Cost/
Time
Overruns
Maximum
Accuracy
Setting the Context
• Challenges
• Features
• Process
CHALLENGES – DIVERSE & VAST
Multicultural
Difficult
people
Difficult
Areas
• 655 religions and other persuasions
• 18 languages (training); 16 languages
(canvassing); 6661 mother tongues
• Nomads, Homeless, Forest/Island Dwellers
• Infants, Elderly women, Disabled
• Disturbed civil conditions
• Inaccessible terrain
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320 million square km
640 districts
640000 villages
8000 towns
53 million-plus cities
Remote areas
VOLUME
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1.21 billion people
330 million census houses
247 million households
27 million enumerators
340 million schedules
5.4 million manuals
12,000 M T paper
COMPLEXITY
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35 questions in Houselisting
29 questions in Population Enumeration
16 languages for Schedules
18 languages for Training Manuals
100% data processing through ICR and CAC
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FEATURES OF CENSUS 2011
• Legal Backing – Census Act 1948
• Paper Based - Extended de facto canvasser method
• Extensive use of GIS/ICT in pre Census & Census activities
• Highly manpower intensive- 2.7 million persons deployed
• Complex Logistics
• ICR Technology for data processing
IMPORTANT LANDMARKS – CENSUS 2011
• Freezing Administrative Boundaries- 1st Jan 2010
• Houselisting & Housing Census
Apr-Sep 2010
• Population Enumeration –
Feb 9th to 28th, 2011
• Revision Round –
1st to 5th March 2011
• Declaring Provisional Results –
31st March 2011
CENSUS 2011 PROCESS
House to house
canvassing
(extended de facto)
Scanning
Data
Dissemination
Database/
Tabulation
Manual completion of
unrecognized characters
Image based
Recognition
(ICR)
Image validation
OBJECTIVES
Coverage
Quality
Cost
Time
HISTORY
LEGAL
BACKING
PRE CENSUS
PLANNING
TECHNOLOGY
HUMAN
RESOURCES
OUTREACH
HISTORY- SINCE 1872
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15th Decadal Census
Unbroken Chain
Continuity in processes
Continuity in questions
“Idle curiosity of an eccentric Sarkar”
to
“ the foundation for informed decision making”
– a journey of more than 140 years
LEGAL BACKING- CENSUS ACT 1948
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Response is mandatory
Census duty is mandatory
Confidentiality is guaranteed
Obstruction is punishable
Stringent provisions- designed to ensure compliance
PRE CENSUS PLANNING
ADMINISTRATIVE STEPS
MAPPING
QUESTIONNAIRE
LOGISTICS
ADMINISTRATIVE STEPS
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Budget
Staffing
Freezing the frame
Geographical Code Directory
Mobilizing the entire Administrative machinery
across the country
MAPPING
• Digitized boundary of more than 0.6 million villages
• Maps of 8000 Towns at sub-Town level
• Digitized maps based on satellite imagery at street
and house level of 33 Capital Cities
• Manually drawn layout sketches of 2.4 million
Enumeration Blocks
QUESTIONNAIRE
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Data user conferences
Continuity
Gender neutral
Translation into 16 languages
Pre test
Correction based on field test
Stakeholder Consultation- a key ingredient of successful project management
LOGISTICS
• 20,000 Charge Locations
• Estimating quantities
including language mix
• Delivery of Material
• Timely and secure return
Outsourcing non core activities- a deliberate strategy
LOGISTICS - A KEY SUCCESS FACTOR
Schedules Printed
At
High-end Presses
Other Materials
printed
Charge Officer
Enumerator
20, 000
2.5 million
Tracking and Tracing through a customised MIS
TECHNOLOGY
LOW TECH
HI TECH
LOW TECH- BUT EFFECTIVE
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Census Circulars
Unique Location Codes
Abridged Houselist
Charge Register
Enumerator Abstract
Enumerator Maps
PRODUCTS OF
SYSTEMATIC
THINKING
Census Circulars
Guidelines issued in three phases
• Pre-census
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Freezing of jurisdictional boundaries
Finalization of village and town lists
Assigning location codes to all administrative units
Carving out the Enumeration Blocks(EBs) etc.
• During census
– Coverage of difficult areas and people, duties of census officers, public
responsibilities, publicity etc.
• Post-census
– Logistics for return collection and management of census records, scanning and
tabulation related circulars etc.
Assigning location codes
 It is essential to assign unique location codes to each
administrative unit. Viz. State, District, Sub-district, Town, OG
and Villages in order to ensure complete coverage without any
ambiguity
 In Indian Census, an effort has been made to develop a
permanent location code system and also Standard Location
Code Directory which is used by the Government departments
and private sectors for their surveys and research works.
Assigning Location Codes (Contd.)
Coding pattern used for
field operation
Coding pattern used for
Tabulation
State/UT
2 digits (unique in India)
State/UT
3 digits (unique in India)
District
2 digits (Unique in State)
District
3 digits (unique in India)
Sub-district
3 digits (Unique in district)
Sub-district
5 digits (unique in India)
Village/Town 4 digits (Unique in Sub-dist)
Village/Town 6 digits (unique in India)
Ward
4 digits (Unique in town)
Ward
4 digits (unique in town)
EB
4 digits (Unique in town/sub-dist)
EB
6 digits (unique in town/sub-dist)
Preparing EB from HLB
HLB No. 0123
Households: 400
Population: 1900
• One AHL booklet is prepared for each EB
• If one enumerator is allotted field-work of 2
EBs, he will get 2 different AHL booklets, one
for each EB
EB No. 0123 – 1
Households: 1 to 150
Population: 700
EB No. 0123 – 3
Households: 261 to 400
Population: 550
EB No. 0123 – 2
Households: 151 to 260
Population: 650
Enumeration Block Map
Prepared by the
enumerators for each EB
separately
Supervisory Circle Map
Ideally each supervisor is
responsible for six EBs
Charge Map
All the supervisory circles
of a charge, finally
constitute the charge map
Charge Register
What is a Charge Register
 It is basically a control register prepared for each charge i.e. at Subdistrict level for rural areas and towns for urban areas separately.
 Finalized list of villages constitute part of rural charge registers.
 Finalized list of wards of towns constitute part of urban charge registers.
 All villages in rural charge and all wards of town are listed and divided
into enumeration blocks for equitable workload.
 Also contains EB wise details of enumerators and supervisors.
 Prepared in both the phases i.e. Houselisting and Population
Enumeration
Composition of Charge Register
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Cover Page – Location codes and charge details.
Back side of cover page – Summary of EBs. and Charge Officer’s Certificate.
Charge map
Village Register for rural charge
Town Register for urban charge
Supervisory circle wise details :
(i) Supervisory circle map
(ii) EB wise details.
7. Training and Honorarium details.
8. Inventory of Records.
9. Certification by Enumerator, Supervisor and Charge Officer.
10. Details of reserve enumerators and supervisors.
11. Record of return dispatch from charges.
Abridged Houselist (AHL)
 EB wise Summary of houselisting details
 Used as a frame for conduct of Population Enumeration.
 Facilitates identification of EB to enumerator.
 Ensures complete coverage of buildings, census houses by
enumerators.
 Houseless population not covered during HLO phase is listed and
covered through AHL.
 New households coming up after HLO phase in the enumeration
block are also covered and marked in AHL.
Enumerator’s Abstract
• A tool for quickest consolidation of totals on following key
items:
• Population
• Child Population (0-6 years)
• Literates and Illiterates
• Manually compiled by every Enumerator at EB level within a
very short period
• Facilitates compilation of Provisional Population Totals for
Districts, State and Country by Sex and Residence
• Release of Provisional Population Totals within 3 weeks
HI-TECH
QUESTIONNAIRE
DESIGN & PRINTING
Data Processing
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN & PRINTING
• High quality paper: Standards
evolved for Census
• Clear and simple to read & write
• Standard A3 size for scanning
• Colour dropout for ICR
• Unique form number & bar code
• Minimum number of templates
• Left top corner cut for stacking
State of the art techniques-greatly enhanced data processing
DATA PROCESSING
• 1961 Census – Unit Record machines used
• 1971 Census – Key-punching (IBM 1401
computer/card Reader
• 1981 Census –Key to Disk machines. (HP 1000
CD-Cyber 730 & NEC - 1000)
• 1991 Census - Medha 930 Main Frame
• 2001 Census –Image based Automatic Form
Processing
• 2011 Census – Advanced ICR Technology
Data Processing
6. Tabulation
5. Export of completed batches for
further processing
1. Scanning station
Forms are fed thru scanners batch by
batch
4. Supervisors Handle Quality
check /Exceptional cases
Database
3. Tile/Correction station - unrecognized Characters
2. Field by field character images are
automatically recognized
SCANNING
High speed scanning-1 lakh/day
Barcode based scan control
Full archive
Colour dropout for ICR
processing
• De-duplication of images
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INTELLIGENT CHARACTER RECOGNITION
Eflow Software
Template matching
Digit separation
Software recognition
Tiling for operator
check
• Clearing exceptions
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DATA EDITING
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IMPS/ CSPro software
Coverage checks
Consistency checks
Edit rules
Hot deck/ Cold deck item
imputation
HUMAN RESOURCES
ENUMERATOR IS THE CENTRAL FIGURE
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HIRE WELL
PAY WELL
TRAIN WELL
CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS
SUPERVISE & SUPPORT
MAKE THEM FEEL THE CENSUS IS A JOB
WORTH DOING
APPOINTMENT OF ENUMERATORS
Local government servants
As far as possible, teachers
Good proportion of females
Honorarium proportionate to
a weeks salary
• Same enumerators as far as
possible in both rounds
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INNOVATIONS IN TRAINING METHODOLOGY
• Training Alliance with
NGOs
• Training Methodology
• Improved inputs
• Scientific Training aids
National
Trainers
( NTs)
90
Master Trainer Facilitators
(MTFs)
725
Master Trainer (MTs)
54, 000
Enumerators and Supervisors
2.7 Million
Training - Key to Quality Data
TRAINING CONTENT
• Comprehensive, clear manual
in local language
• Online/ CD e-learning
module
• Hard & soft skills
• Training aids including charts,
flash cards etc
• Energizers & mood changers
ICT IN TRAINING
• Instruction Manuals
• Training Guides
• PowerPoint
presentations
• e-Learning Modules
• Internet
• Training CDs
• Community Radio
• SMS/email
SUPERVISION & SUPPORT
• One supervisor for every six
enumerators, fully trained
• Mandatory field checks
• Supervisor and master trainer
always available for guidance
• Ensuring fresh instructions
reach immediately
• Call Centre for assistance and
feedback
COORDINATION
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Central Government
State Governments
District Administration
Sub-District Administration
Municipal Authorities
Armed Forces
The largest peacetime mobilisation
OUTREACH
LOGO &
MASCOT
PUBLICITY
MEDIA
SCHOOLS
VULNERABLE
GROUPS
MODES OF
FEEDBACK
CENSUS LOGO AND MASCOT
PUBLICITY
• Campaign using:
Mass media
Public outreach
Digital media
Print Ads in 16 languages
TVCs and Radio Spots in
12 languages
• Mascot
• Commemorative Stamp
• Local Art Forms
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DIGITAL – AN EFFECTIVE MEDIUM
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Advertisements
on websites
• SMS
• TV Soaps
Census in Schools
School Kit
Lessons
Assembly Messages
Activity
Map Exercises
Quiz Cards
VULNERABLE GROUPS
• Inclusion of the Vulnerable
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Nomads
Houseless
Elderly
Disabled
Women
Infants
Special campaign strategy to ensure an inclusive Census
MODES OF FEEDBACK
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Help Desks
Toll free helpline number
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Real time grievance redressal
EVALUATION
• Coverage
- Cent percent of the villages covered
• Quality
- The Data and Map products have been widely
acclaimed for their high quality
• Cost
- @ Rs. 18 per capita, easily the most cost effective
Census in the world
• Time
- Provisional result in one month
- Housing Census results within one year
- Population Census results within two years
WAY FORWARD…
• Register based Census- NPR
• Electronic Census (paperless)
NATIONAL POPULATION REGISTER
House to house
canvassing for NPR
by Enumerators
Scanning
Publication in the local area,
settlement of claims
and objections
Vetting by local bodies
Image based
Data Entry
Printing of Local
Register of Usual
Residents (LRUR)
Biometric Capture in the presence of
Government Servants
De-Duplication by UIDAI and
Issue of Aadhaar
National Population Register
NPR Central Database
DYNAMIC UPDATING
NPR Centre
NPR Centre
NPR Centre
State Wide Area Network
State Data Centre
National Grid
National Data Centre
National Population Register
Continuous updating through the B&D system- basis for a register
based Census
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
• Socio Economic and Caste Census
successfully completed using handheld
Tablets
• Direct Data Entry
• Electronic data directly uploaded from
the field
• Dynamic monitoring
• Field Correction
• Instantaneous results
• Completely Paperless
• Weighs 280 grams/7 inch
LCD Color Display
• Touch screen/keyboard
• Internet connectivity
• Solar battery chargers
• Price: Less than US $ 80
per piece
ELECTRONIC CENSUSA PIONEERING
ATTEMPT
SECC Summary
data: live
Socio-Economic and Caste Census
Triumph of Technology!!
THE ULTIMATE AIM
Hamari Ginti Ho Gayi Hai!
Yes – We have been counted!!
THANK YOU