Digital Data Collection to Be Used for Next Census, MHA Says

Digital data collection, Census Management and Monitoring System, code directory geospatial technology and other latest technologies will be used for the next Census, said the Ministry of Home Affairs report released on Monday.

The MHA Annual report 2021-22 read that data collection in the forthcoming Census will be done digitally. An enumerator would collect and submit data directly through mobile app, using her or his smartphone. The provision of a paper schedule is also kept in case of connectivity issues. In addition to this, it is also planned to have an online option for self-enumeration during both the phases of the Census ie house listing and housing Census and population enumeration.

Enumerators are to be incentivised to use their own smartphone for the collection of data, it read.

It further read that mobile apps developed in-house for the collection of data through Smartphones have been rigorously tested during the postponed period of the Census and have been further updated and improved.

The Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) Portal developed for the management and monitoring of various Census-related activities has been further improved with additional functionalities. The portal would be used for the management and monitoring of various Census activities like the appointment of Census functionaries including enumerators and supervisors and allocation of work, organisation of training for Census officials, the progress of work in the field by each enumerator on a real-time basis, auto-generation of some Census records/abstracts, processing for payment of training allowances/ honorarium to Census functionaries etc.

A code directory to be used by the enumerators in the field to codify descriptive responses which can cut short the time lag for the release of Census data, resulting in fast processing and release of data.

Several new initiatives have been taken towards facilitating Census operations using advanced Geospatial technology. The pre-Census mapping activities include the preparation and updating of maps showing administrative units of the states/UTs, districts, sub-districts, villages, towns and wards within towns to ensure proper coverage of the entire geographical area of the country. Further, efforts are being made for the dissemination of Census results through web-based interactive maps. Preparatory work in this direction has already been initiated.