‘8th Economic Census to be held in 2027’: Statistics Secretary Saurabh Garg
Table of Contents
Source: The Economic Times
Relevance: Facts about Census, GS 1: Population and associated issues, Social structure, Caste, Inequality GS 3: Inclusive growth, Data for planning & economic policy
Important Key Concepts for Prelims and Mains:
For Prelims:
- Economic Census, First Economic Census, 8th Economic Census (2027), SBR (Statistical Business Register), Population Census, SECC 2011, Caste Census / Surveys
For Mains:
- Significance of Census, How census contribute to inclusive growth, Significance of Economic Census & SBR, SECC & Caste Data — Mains Themes, State-Level Caste Surveys, Issues and Challenges, Way Forward
Why in News?
- The eighth Economic Census will be undertaken in 2027, statistics secretary Saurabh Garg
- “We will do the economic census following the population census,” Garg said.
- The Government has decided to conduct:
- Two-phase Population Census in 2026–27, followed by
- 8th Economic Census (EC) in 2027.
- Data from the 8th EC will be used to construct a Statistical Business Register (SBR) – a unified enterprise database – crucial for accurate national accounts and evidence-based policy.
- Parallelly, debates around SECC 2011, caste census and State-level caste surveys have resurfaced (e.g., Bihar survey case in courts), raising questions about legal competence, privacy and policy use of caste data.
What is the Economic Census?
- Definition: A complete count of all establishments engaged in production and/or distribution of goods and services (other than for sole consumption), within India’s geographical boundaries.
- First Economic Census: 1977.
- Nodal Ministry:
- Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
- Conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO) in collaboration with Directorates of Economics & Statistics (DES) of all States/UTs.
8th Economic Census (2027) & Statistical Business Register (SBR)
- Objective of 8th EC:
- Provide updated data on number, type, size, sector and activity of enterprises.
- Feed into a Statistical Business Register (SBR) – a unified, dynamic database mapping all enterprises across States.
- Why SBR matters?
- Helps track whether enterprises are active or closed, reducing over or under-estimation in GDP and other economic indicators.
- Enables better sampling frames for surveys (MSMEs, services, informal sector).
- Improves State-wise, sector-wise policy targeting.
POPULATION CENSUS IN INDIA
Definition & Scope
- Population Census: Total process of collecting, compiling, analysing and disseminating demographic, economic and social data at a specific time for all persons in a country/region.
- Provides trends in population size, structure and characteristics (e.g., age, sex, literacy, work, migration).
- Indian Census = one of the largest administrative exercises in the world.
Nodal Authority
- Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India (RGI)
- Under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- Until 1951, Census organisation was ad-hoc each decade; a permanent setup evolved only post-Independence.
Legal / Constitutional Backing
- Census Act, 1948 – governs conduct, penalties, confidentiality of data.
- Piloted by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (then Home Minister).
- Union Subject – Article 246; Entry 69, List I (Union List) – “Census”.
- Confidentiality:
- Individual-level information cannot be used as evidence in courts, nor shared as personal data; only aggregated statistics can be used.
2026–27 Population Census
- Will be India’s 16th decennial Census (first all-India Census: 1872, first synchronous: 1881).
- 2021 Census was postponed due to COVID-19; the upcoming one is expected to:
- Be the first fully digital Census with self-enumeration option.
- Include separate head for transgender-headed households and members.
History of Census in India
Ancient & Medieval References
- Rigveda (800–600 BCE) – suggests rudimentary population counts.
- Arthashastra (Kautilya) – prescribes collection of population stats for taxation.
- Ain-i-Akbari (Abul Fazl) – Mughal admin report with data on population, wealth, industry.
Pre-Independence
- 1830 – first complete census of a city (Dacca) by Henry Walter.
- 1872 – first non-synchronous census (Lord Mayo).
- 1881 – first synchronous all-India Census (W.C. Plowden as Census Commissioner).
Key Milestones
- 1921 Census – “The Great Divide”
- Only decade to record population decline (-0.31%), mainly due to 1918 flu pandemic.
- Marks shift from fluctuating to steadily increasing population.
- 1971 Census – second after Independence; added question on fertility of currently married women.
- 1991 Census – changed literacy definition; considered 7+ age group (not 4+).
- 2001 Census – major use of ICR technology to digitise handwritten schedules.
- 2011 Census – noted significant fertility decline in EAG States (UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha).
Significance of Census Data
Good Governance & Planning
- Basis for Union, State, local planning – housing, health, education, infrastructure.
- Monitoring SDGs, poverty, literacy, demographic transition.
Demarcation & Representation
- Used for delimitation of constituencies and allocation of seats in Parliament, State Assemblies, and local bodies (when applied).
Fiscal Transfers
- Finance Commission uses population data (often 1971 + later Censuses) to develop formulas for tax devolution and grants.
Private Sector & Research
- Businesses use district/town-level data for market planning and expansion.
- Think tanks, NGOs, researchers use it for demographic and social analysis.
Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011
What is SECC?
- Conducted in 2011 (first since 1931 for caste enumeration).
- Two key objectives:
- Collect socio-economic data of every household (deprivation, asset ownership, occupation).
- Collect caste name to reassess which groups are more deprived.
Census vs SECC – Key Differences
| Aspect | Population Census | SECC 2011 |
| Purpose | Portrait of population | Identifying deprivation & caste profile |
| Legal Status of Data | Confidential (Census Act, 1948) | Open to govt. departments for targeting |
| Use | Planning, delimitation, macro policy | Scheme targeting, welfare eligibility |
Significance of SECC
- Better Mapping of Inequalities – allows granular, multidimensional poverty/deprivation analysis.
- Supports Affirmative Action – provides quantifiable data demanded by courts for reservation and welfare justification.
- Constitutional Provision–
- Article 340: Commission to examine conditions of socially & educationally backward classes and suggest measures.
Concerns / Challenges
- Caste is emotive – risk of hardening identities and political mobilisation.
- Large parts of SECC data are still not fully released or used systematically.
- Caste ≠ automatic proxy for class – entrenched discrimination often persists even when incomes rise.
Caste Census & State-Level Caste Surveys
What is a Caste Census?
- A population survey to collect data on caste composition, socio-economic status, education levels etc., of different caste groups, mainly to:
- Design reservation policies,
- Assess backwardness,
- Re-calibrate OBC, EBC, etc., lists.
Constitutional & Federal Position
- Centre’s Role:
- Entry 69, List I (Union List) – “Census” → Centre conducts decennial population census.
- States’ Role (for surveys):
- Entry 20, List III – Economic & Social Planning.
- Entry 23, List III – Social security, social insurance, employment.
- Entry 30, List III – Vital statistics, including registration of births/deaths.
- Together, these can justify State-level socio-economic/caste surveys for welfare purposes.
Privacy & Legal Issues
- Petitioners argue caste-based surveys may violate Right to Privacy (Art. 21) if not supported by clear law, necessity and proportionality.
- Patna High Court (2023) upheld Bihar’s caste survey as valid, holding that:
- Its purpose is to identify Backward Classes, SCs, STs for uplift and equal opportunity.
- Supreme Court has issued notice on that judgment – final legal position still evolving.
Criminal Tribes Act Analogy & Need for Updated Data
- Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 – colonial law labelling entire tribes/castes as “born criminals”;
- Its data and categories are obsolete and unjust in today’s context.
- Similarly, last full caste census was in 1931 – that structure has little relevance now due to:
- Urbanisation, mobility, changes in occupations and education.
- Hence, updated, carefully designed surveys (with safeguards) may better reflect current social realities for policy.
Issues & Challenges (Overall)
- Delay in Regular Census (2021 Postponed)
- Long gap between 2011 and next Census affects planning, delimitation, poverty estimates, and reliability of population ratios.
- Data Quality & Coverage
- Ensuring accurate enumeration of migrants, homeless, urban poor, transgender persons remains a challenge.
- Caste & Political Sensitivities
- Caste census / SECC can become politically contentious.
- Risk of identity hardening and competitive populism if poorly handled.
- Privacy & Data Protection
- New Digital Census and large-scale databases raise concerns about:
- Data security,
- Misuse of individual information,
- Need to align with data protection principles (purpose limitation, minimalism).
- Centre–State Coordination
- Economic Census, SBR, SECC and caste surveys require tight coordination between Centre and States – administratively and financially.
Way Forward
- Timely Completion of 2026–27 Population Census & 8th EC
- Ensure robust training, tech support and grievance mechanisms.
- Maintain confidentiality and public trust.
- High-Quality SBR
- Integrate data from EC, GSTN, MCA-21, Udyam, ESIC, EPFO etc., into a clean, dynamic SBR.
- Use it to improve GDP estimation, MSME policy, employment surveys.
- Transparent Use of SECC & Caste Data
- If caste-linked surveys are conducted, frame clear legal backing, privacy safeguards, and transparent methodology.
- Use data strictly for equitable policy design and course-correction of reservations/welfare, not electoral mobilisation.
- Strengthen Legal & Ethical Framework
- Harmonise Census/SECC operations with data protection standards:
- Purpose limitation, anonymisation, restricted access, defined retention period.
- Harmonise Census/SECC operations with data protection standards:
- Better Communication with Citizens
- Public campaigns explaining why data is collected, how it is used, and how privacy is protected, to avoid mistrust.
PRELIMS POINTERS
- Economic Census:
- First held in 1977, now 8th EC planned for 2027.
- Conducted by MoSPI – NSO + State DES.
- Will feed into Statistical Business Register (SBR).
- Population Census:
- Under Census Act, 1948; nodal: RGI, MHA.
- Union subject – Entry 69, List I.
- 1921 Census – “Great Divide” (first and only decadal population decline).
- Census Organisation:
- Ad-hoc setup till 1951, then evolved into a permanent office of RGI.
- SECC 2011:
- First socio-economic & caste enumeration since 1931.
- Data not confidential like Census; used by government for targeting.
- Criminal Tribes Act, 1871:
- Colonial law branding certain tribes/castes as “born criminals”; now repealed, and its historical categorisations are irrelevant and discriminatory today – used as an analogy for why old caste data cannot guide modern policy.
UPSC PYQ
Q. Consider the following statements with reference to Census in India: CDS-II (2024)
- The first All-India Census was attempted in 1872.
- From 1881, decennial censuses became a regular feature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B
Explanation
- Statement 1 – Correct
- In 1872, under Viceroy Lord Mayo, the first All-India Census was conducted.
- It was non-synchronous (i.e., not held on the same date everywhere), but it was the first attempt to count the population of almost the entire Indian territory.
- Statement 2 – Correct
- In 1881, under Census Commissioner W. C. Plowden, India conducted its first synchronous census (same reference date across the country).
- Since then, the Census has been held regularly every 10 years (decennially), except for the postponement of Census 2021 due to COVID-19.
CARE MCQ
Q. With reference to the Population Census in India, consider the following statements:
- It is governed by the Census Act, 1948 which ensures confidentiality of personal data.
- The Census is a State List subject under the Constitution.
- The 1921 Census is known as the “Great Divide” in India’s demographic history.
Which of the above statements are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
- Statement 1 – Correct. Census Act, 1948 ensures confidentiality.
- Statement 2 – Incorrect. Census is a Union List (Entry 69) subject.
- Statement 3 – Correct. 1921 saw first decadal population decline → “Great Divide”.
