Indian citizens will now be able self-enumerate online in the upcoming census, as the Union government has amended the Census Rules framed in 1990.
The latest amendments allow the details to be captured and stored in an electronic format and also enable self-enumeration by respondents.
The respondents will have the option to fill details online.
The Registrar-General of India notified the amended Census rules in the Gazette on March 11, which said that “a person may fill-up, complete and submit the census schedule through self-enumeration”. “Self-enumeration means filling-up, completion and submission of census schedule by respondents themselves”.
As the government had earlier announced that the census will be done in the electronic mode and self-enumeration will be allowed, the rules were notified to formalise the announcement.
The census exercise was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The census will be carried out using a mobile phone app. It will be used to collect data by school teachers who will double up as enumerators during the Census exercise.
