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The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will delaying the Census affect its implementation?
On June 16, the Registrar General of India under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification that India's population will be counted in 2027. Following demands by the Opposition parties, among other reasons, the government has also announced the inclusion of caste enumeration in the Census for the first time in independent India. The last Census was held in 2011. The exercise was to take place in 2021, but was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has now been further pushed to 2027. Will delaying the Census affect its implementation? Sanjay Kumar and Poonam Muttreja discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Vijaita Singh. Edited excerpts: Was the Census deliberately delayed? Sanjay Kumar: The Census should have taken place in 2021, but that was the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since everything was stalled in 2020 and we were under a strict lockdown for a good part of that year, the Census could not take place. Do you see any political reasons for the further delay? Do you think the government wanted to time it with the delimitation exercise, which is frozen till 2026? Sanjay Kumar: I don't have an explanation for this delay. The pandemic was over by mid-2022. By the end of 2022, universities had opened, schools had gone back to a normal routine, and everyone had started going back to office. The delay for nearly three years after that is frankly inexplicable. I'm not sure why the government did not take the initiative earlier. I don't think it is because of the delimitation exercise, because every time delimitation takes place, the exercise uses the previous Census data. So the government could have began conducting the Census in 2023 as well. Even if it did start conducting the exercise in 2025, it would have made no difference to the work of delimitation. Can you tell us about the implications of a delayed Census? Poonam Muttreja: The delay has serious consequences for governance and development. India continues to use Census data from 2011 data in 2025. The ground reality has changed dramatically since 2011. Population growth, internal migration, urbanisation, and fertility patterns have all accelerated/changed. But policy continues to run on outdated assumptions. The delay effects nearly every sector. School enrolment projections are inaccurate. Vaccine coverage targets have missed the mark. Social welfare programmes such as PDS (public distribution system) and MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) cannot adjust to the actual population needs. The delay also affects disaster preparedness and infrastructure planning. This is going to be the first digital Census in India. Are there any concerns about that? Poonam Muttreja: Digitisation can bring in efficiency, reduce manual error, and allow faster data processing. But a fully digital Census also risks excluding the very people who are the hardest to reach, such as those in rural households and informal settlements, those belonging to marginalised communities, and women. They may not have smartphones, stable electricity, or digital access. Take women, for instance — only 33% of rural women use the Internet. Among women in low income households, mobile phone ownership is significantly low. A 'digital first' approach without safeguards could reinforce the existing gender bias. To succeed, this Census must retain door-to-door in-person enumeration, especially in areas that are difficult to access. The enumerators must be trained to work with diverse populations in regional languages and have an inclusive approach. Technology should support, not replace, the human engagement that is essential for collecting accurate data. The government is yet to announce any decision regarding the National Population Register (NPR), which is the first step towards the creation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC). In the 2021 Census, it was planned to be updated with the first phase of the Census. Do you think if the two are combined — the NPR and population Census — it may impact the process because of the controversies and fears around the NPR? Sanjay Kumar: If you are trying to do one piece of work and then you combine it with other work, there is a possibility of both getting tampered with. Things could get delayed, jumbled, and some information could get misrepresented. But do you see the Centre not going ahead with the NPR so that the Census is done in a hassle-free manner? Sanjay Kumar: I would be in favour of getting the Census done separately because we should not forget that this is being undertaken after a very long time — 16 years! This is the first time that caste enumeration is also taking place as part of the Census. So a new element is already there. Why overburden the enumerators? How difficult or easy will it be for the government to collect data on caste? In the Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011, around 40 lakh caste names were thrown up. There were instances of people writing their surnames instead of their community names. It was based on self-disclosure. What methodology do you think the government should follow to make the process robust? Sanjay Kumar: If we are raising questions about caste data, we can raise questions about the collection of other information as well. If people can answer questions about their assets, age, gender, and education, why should there be any difficulty in answering questions about caste? But yes, training is important. If we are able to train our enumerators well, the respondents will be able to answer most of the questions. The enumerators need to know that Varma, for instance, is a surname, not a caste. If a respondent mentions this surname as their caste, the enumerators will have to ask a follow-up question. Poonam Muttreja: Asking about a person's caste is not going to be difficult. The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government conducted a caste census nearly a decade ago, but never released the data. I think homework needs to be done well when we collect data on caste. Enumerators must understand all the caste sub-categories. Unless they themselves are well informed, they are not going to be able to deal with erroneous answers or inappropriate answers. Why do you think Census is important for a country? Poonam Muttreja: The world is changing rapidly and so many things are uncertain. In such a scenario, the Census is the most important aspect to consider in not only planning and policymaking, but also in the allocation of resources. It helps us understand how climate change is impacting us, changing population dynamics, and patterns of digitisation. In India, to understand the rapid increase in urbanisation and migration patterns, we need numbers. We also know that India is an ageing society. The number of aged people is going to nearly double in the next 20 years. You can't let people age and then start planning. So given the rapidly changing environment, planning, allocation of resources, targeting the poor and targeting those who are marginalised are all objectives. In fact, the whole purpose of having a caste census is to invest in the most marginalised communities. Do you think the government should consider reducing the 10-year period for conducting the Census so that we can have faster and more accurate data about these changes in society? Sanjay Kumar: Conducting the Census is a tedious, time-consuming process. It cannot happen overnight. The Census is not merely about counting the number of people. The government's policy formulation depends on the information collected during a Census. The large amount of information gathered is valuable for the government to implement various kinds of policies. We may feel that the government can do this every five years, but it is more appropriate to do it every 10 years. But we should make sure that the Census takes place on time and there is no break in between.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Six held for over Rs 38 lakh fraud in rural job scheme using fake muster rolls
Lucknow: The Balrampur police arrested six individuals for embezzling Rs38.49 lakh from the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee scheme (MGNREGS) funds. The arrests were made in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated for the renovation of three ponds in Bishunpur Tantanwa village under Pachpedwa block. Police said the sanctioned amount for the project was Rs58.34 lakh. The accused allegedly forged muster rolls in the names of workers to siphon off the funds, without executing the work as per official norms. SP Vikas Kumar supervised the probe, leading to the arrests. Those arrested were Abdul Wahab, Mohd Zuber Khan, Girija Shankar, Atul Kumar Mishra (son of Ram Prakash Mishra, additional programme officer), Pradeep Kumar Chaudhary (son of Ramchandra, junior engineer) and Ajay Yadav (son of Gulab Chandra Yadav, gram vikas adhikari, resident of Belhar, Sahjanwa, Gorakhpur). Kumar said a formal complaint was submitted by block development officer (BDO) Mohit Dubey. He reported irregularities in the pond renovation project under MGNREGS in Bishunpur Tantanwa village. An inspection revealed that fake construction activities were shown, with expenses falsely recorded to the tune of Rs58.34 lakh. An FIR was lodged and an investigation found that the accused passed fake work proposals and used fraudulent muster rolls to divert funds amounting to Rs38.49 lakh. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Kumar added that the accused operated in a pre-planned, coordinated manner to loot public funds under the guise of MGNREGS work. "The arrested individuals were found to be involved in preparing forged documentation and disbursing wages for non-existent workers to commit fraud," said Kumar. Kumar added that police have seized records and investigation is ongoing to identify other possible beneficiaries and verify whether similar frauds occurred in nearby villages. The accused have been booked under BNS and were remanded to judicial custody after being presented in court.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
His convoy ‘attacked', Bengal BJP chief accuses Mamata of ‘orchestrating violence'
Union Minister and West Bengal state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday said that shoes, bricks and stones were hurled at his convoy by a group of people in Budge Budge area of South 24 Parganas district while he was on his way to meet party workers. Accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee of 'orchestrating' the attack, Majumdar said 'an emergency-like situation is prevailing in the state'. 'Opposition leaders like me are being stopped from visiting areas rocked by group clashes. Hindus are being attacked by jihadi elements in places like Maheshtala and Murshidabad, and police remain mute spectators at the behest of the ruling party. When we visit the areas to express solidarity with Hindus, we are attacked by rowdies sheltered by the TMC. If this is not 'emergency-like situation', in what way can it be described,' the Union minister posted on X. Calling the West Bengal Police 'spineless', the BJP leader specifically pointed to an officer of Diamond Harbour, alleging that police were mere 'puppets, deployed to shield the criminals' and mastered the 'Bhaipo Model' — a veiled reference to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee. Majumdar said he would be sending a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to reports, Majumdar's received a hostile reception in Budge Budge as a group of people shouted slogans like 'go back,' 'dangabaz' (riot-monger), and 'chorer party' (party of thieves). Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson said the protest against the BJP leader was 'justified' and 'reflected public anger against BJP's policies'. People are incensed and infuriated as the BJP has blocked the release of funds for the rural job guarantee scheme (MGNREGS) in Bengal and have seen through the BJP's gameplan to create communal rifts and polarise communities,' he said. Minister Shashi Panja condemned Majumdar's remarks, saying: 'How dare Sukanta Majumdar call women jihadis just because they were demanding their rightful and pending MGNREGA dues? Modi's leaders have repeatedly insulted women.' Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Centre reviews HC order to resume MGNREGA in West Bengal from August 1
The Centre is looking at various options following the Kolkata High Court's (HC) order directing it to re-start the stalled Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in West Bengal from August 1, according to senior officials. They said the order is being studied in detail to understand all the nuances after which a formal stand could be taken. The Kolkata HC, in an order issued on Wednesday, directed the Centre to resume the MGNREGA scheme in the state that has been stalled since three years, but with some riders. The Court, while asking the Centre to restart the scheme, also allowed it to impose any condition or restriction that it deems necessary so that corruption that occurred previously is not repeated. The HC's order was passed following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that claimed the poor were being denied their legitimate entitlement under the Act, which guarantees 100 days of employment per year to rural households. A division Bench comprising Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das issued the order. The Bench noted that neither the Centre nor the State had taken any action against those involved in the alleged corruption, which had delayed the scheme's implementation in West Bengal. Both the ruling Trinamool Congress and Opposition BJP claimed victory, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying that the Centre wants to restart all the social welfare programmes stalled in the state since the last three years. BJP also welcomed the order saying that the control of the scheme will now rest with the Centre, and there won't be any retrospective payments and genuine beneficiaries will be included in MGNREGS not ghost workers. It added that the order also meant that all recovered money from the mishandling of funds will go back to the consolidated fund of India. The Left-affiliated All India Agricultural Workers Union said that the verdict is the result of the continued struggles of the agricultural workers of West Bengal and unity of the workers, peasants, and agricultural workers. The union government had been withholding MGNREGS funds for West Bengal by imposing Section 27 of the Act that allows it to stop funds for violation of rules in implementation of the scheme by the State. The section was first invoked in December 2021 alleging large-scale corruption and violation of guidelines. In a parliament reply made in July 2022, the ministry of rural development had acknowledged that on account of non-compliance of its directives, as per provision of Section 27 of MGNREGA, the release of funds to the State of West Bengal has been stopped. At that time, the pending liabilities for MGNREGS wages was estimated at ₹2,605 crore.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Political parties compete to take credit for resumption of MGNREGS in West Bengal
A day after the Calcutta High Court directed the resumption of MGNREGS in West Bengal, political parties in the State tried to take credit for the return of the 100-days-work scheme after a three-year hiatus. A Division Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee on Wednesday (June 18) directed the Union government to resume the Centrally funded scheme from August 1. Welcoming the High Court order, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee noted that her government had already started a scheme called 'Karmashree' to provide 50 days work to people in the State. Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the stoppage of the scheme in the State was 'revenge and retribution' after the BJP failed to defeat his party in the 2021 Assembly polls. 'We welcome it. We made a promise to the people of Bengal — that we would fight for their rights with every ounce of strength in our bodies, and we reaffirm our commitment to fight for Bengal against the ZAMINDARS in every forum, at every level,' he said. Also Read | What is the lowdown on MGNREGA funding? The West Bengal BJP leadership described the resumption of the scheme as a 'resounding slap to Trinamool's corrupt machinery'. 'Bengal's poorest will finally receive what's rightfully theirs. But make no mistake — Mamata Banerjee Government will try everything to derail this because she simply cannot tolerate any system that she doesn't control and cannot exploit,' State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said. BJP MP and party spokesperson for the State, Shamik Bhattacharya also spoke on similar lines, asserting that the BJP and Union government wanted to give people 100-day work money. 'We understand that the Trinamool government has pushed its people so far into poverty in this State that they have to depend on this money,' he said. The stoppage of the scheme since March 2022 has affected about 2.5 crore workers in the State. The petition to resume work under MGNREGS was filed by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS), a union of agricultural workers, before the Calcutta High Court. In a statement, PBKMS said that the union viewed the High Court order 'as a significant victory for rural workers in West Bengal and a strong reaffirmation of their right to work under MGNREGA'. The union would remain committed to monitoring the implementation of the court's order and would continue to stand with the workers in their struggle for dignity and justice, it said. Observing that the court order came in response to a petition filed by PBKMS challenging the Central government's suspension of MGNREGS in the State, PBKMS said that the suspension, which lasted over three years, deprived nearly 2.5 crore registered rural workers of their statutory right to employment under the Act. 'PBKMS, on behalf of MGNREGA workers of Bengal, extends heartfelt gratitude to the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha and its constituent organisations who stood in solidarity with the rural workers of Bengal throughout this fight,' the statement added.
