Synopsis
The article published in the editorial section of The Hindu newspaper discusses the significant delay in conducting India’s decadal Census, which has been postponed for more than three years. The Census is an essential tool for gathering detailed information on the population, including locational, familial, and individual data. This data is critical for understanding population dynamics and making informed decisions in areas like education, employment, health, and livelihoods.
Article Explanation
The Indian Census is a crucial tool for understanding India’s population dynamics, providing comprehensive data on various aspects of life such as family structure, employment status, education levels, and health conditions. Delaying the Census can lead to missed changes in population dynamics, impacting development planning, policy formulation, and evaluation of government programs.
Alternative data sources, such as surveys or estimations based on old Census data, are naive and cannot provide the same level of detail or accuracy as a full Census. They can also lead to misleading indicators, potentially overstating or understating progress in areas like health, education, and economic development.
The debate on a caste census has been fueled by political motivations, historical context, and the need to establish claims for differential entitlements based on caste representation. However, the article suggests that this push may be more about serving political interests than genuine development needs.
Castle data was collected in earlier Censuses, but this practice was discontinued, suggesting that reintroducing caste data collection may not be driven by a genuine need to address deprivation but rather to establish claims for differential entitlements based on caste representation. Additionally, other important domains like education and occupational mobility are not being systematically assessed, which limits our understanding of how different caste groups are progressing in these areas.
The article raises concerns that the delay in the Census might be intentional, allowing the government to claim progress and success based on outdated or insufficient data. Without accurate population data, any statistics on program success could be misleading.
The scientific and policy-making community is urged to push for the Census to be conducted without further delay. No survey or administrative data can replace the comprehensive and detailed information provided by a full Census.
India’s role in global population dynamics is also highlighted, with accurate population data crucial for global demographic assessments and understanding India’s position in comparison to other population giants like China. Challenges in measuring progress are also highlighted, as without the Census, these indicators may lack the necessary standardization, leading to inaccurate assessments of progress.
In conclusion, delaying the Census is not just a logistical issue but a significant problem with far-reaching consequences. The absence of current and accurate population data undermines the reliability of surveys, the effectiveness of government programs, and the overall ability to plan for the country’s future.
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The Hindu Epaper Editorial Explanation given by Hello Student is only a supplementary reading to the original article to make things easier for the students.
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The Editorial Page of The Hindu is an essential reading for all the students aspiring for UPSC, SSC, PCS, Judiciary etc or any other competitive government exams.
This may also be useful for exams like CUET UG and CUET PG, GATE, GMAT, GRE AND CAT
Read more-https://hellostudent.co.in/refugee-rights-the-gendered-nature-of-displacement-the-hindu-editorial-explanation-10th-august2024/
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