A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses include agriculture, business, and traffic censuses. In the latter cases the elements of the ‘population’ are farms, businesses, and so forth, rather than people
Why is Census Important?
The Indian Census is the most credible source of information on Demography (Population characterstics),Economic Activity,Literacy and Education,Housing & Household Amenities, Urbanisation,Fertility and Mortality,Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Language, Religion,Migration ,Disability and many other socio-cultural and demographic data since 1872.Census 2011 will be the 15th National Census of the Country.This is te only source of primary data in the village ,town and ward level ,It provides valuable information for planning and formulation policies for Central and the State Governments and is widely used by National and International Agencies ,Scholars ,business people, industrialists,and many more.
The Delimitation/reservation of Constituencies- Parliamentary/Assembly/Panchayats and other Local Bodies is also done on the basis of the demographic data thrown up by the Census .Census is te basis for reviewing the country’s progress in the past decade,monitoring the on going Schemes of the Goverment and most importantly ,plan for the future. That is why the Slogan is ” Our Census Our Future”.