In 2011 (excluding NPR updation) and 2001, Census cost around ₹2,200 crore and over ₹650 crore, respectively.
| Photo Credit:
MOHD ARIF
As the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming Census, the government is expected to provide money for Census in the Supplementary Demands for Grants (SDG).
The Union Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 has provided a little over ₹500 crore under the head ‘Census Survey and Statistics.’ According to footnotes in the document, it Includes provisions for the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India and various schemes of RGI including National Population Register (NPR) and expenditure on Census, 2021.
A much bigger amount will be required to complete the Census exercise and updation of National Population Register (NPR).
Cost of Census
Six years back, a Cabinet decision dated December 24, 2019, outlined the proposal for conducting Census of India 2021 at a cost of over ₹8,700 crore and updation of NPR at a cost of over ₹3,900 crore. It was decided that house listing and housing Census to take place during April to September 2020 and population enumeration to take place between February 9 and 28 of 2021. The plan was to update the along with house listing and housing Census, except in Assam. Around 30 lakh field functionaries were assigned the entire job. However, due to the pandemic, the entire exercise had to be put on hold.
Though the government has not given a timeline to conduct the Census, it is expected that it would kickstart before the Bihar Assembly elections due at the end of this year and a bigger amount would be required in this fiscal.
In 2011 (excluding NPR updation) and 2001 Census cost around ₹2,200 crore and over ₹650 crore, respectively.
In case, the government wants to complete the Census exercise along with enumeration of caste census and updation of NPR, it may bring forward presenting SDG in the monsoon session of Parliament.
SDG is a mechanism through which the government seeks approval from the Lok Sabha for funds towards expenditure exceeding budget estimates. Although, the government can move three SDGs in a financial year (one in monsoon session, second in the winter session and finally in the Budget session of Parliament), but for last many years, there has been just two SDGs (one in winter and second in the budget session) as cash flow and expenditure situation become clear by then. However, considering the political urgency, one SDG could be brought in monsoon session to fund the Census exercise.
Published on May 1, 2025
