<p>People from all walks of life have unanimously welcomed the Centre’s recent announcement that India will count its population by March 1, 2027, after an unprecedented 16-year gap. As an official who has been associated with censuses for decades -- both within and outside the country-- I have encountered some interesting and often hilarious situations during this mammoth exercise.</p>.<p>The very first question a census enumerator must ask in a household is the name of its head. In some households, the enumerator had to wait patiently—sometimes indefinitely—as the family debated whether the husband or the wife should be declared the head.</p>.<p>Semantics, too, can create amusing situations. A middle-aged man in a village once reported his marital status as “separated” in response to the question of whether he was single, married, widowed, divorced, or separated (not legally). When the enumerator learnt that the man’s wife was merely away at her son’s house in a neighbouring town, he ticked the entry ‘married’ -- with a wry smile. </p>.<p>Many men are reluctant to disclose the economic activities of their wives. The stock answer is often “She is only doing household work,” even if she is engaged in farming or other gainful occupation. It is therefore no surprise that women remain under-counted in labour force statistics. One hopes this tendency will not persist in the 2027 Census. </p>.<p>During one enumeration, an observant enumerator noticed an infant in a cradle while wrapping up her interview. The mother had deliberately withheld information about her newborn baby, fearing the child might attract the ‘evil eye’. The enumerator had to patiently explain that the word census, meaning full count, required the inclusion of even a one-day-old baby. </p>.<p>An interesting situation arose during the 1993 Census in The Gambia, a small West African country, which was held with my technical assistance. As polygamy was common there, a question arose: in which household should a man with three wives – each living in a separate house within the same compound-- be counted? It was decided that to avoid duplication, he would be enumerated in the household where he spends most of his time. </p>.<p>Unlike elections, which are conducted with great fanfare, the census count takes place quietly. Enumerators -- often local schoolteachers – visit every household within their allotted Enumeration Block. Occasionally, complaints arise about a household being omitted. But investigations often reveal that the enumerator did visit --only in the absence of the complainants. </p>.<p>Apart from the subtle humour they offer, these experiences remind us that a successful census depends as much on the cooperation of the public as on the diligence of the enumerators. One hopes that this spirit of partnership will shine through in the 2027 Census of India, which will mark two firsts – digitisation in data collection and enumeration of castes.</p><p><em>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)</em></p>
<p>People from all walks of life have unanimously welcomed the Centre’s recent announcement that India will count its population by March 1, 2027, after an unprecedented 16-year gap. As an official who has been associated with censuses for decades -- both within and outside the country-- I have encountered some interesting and often hilarious situations during this mammoth exercise.</p>.<p>The very first question a census enumerator must ask in a household is the name of its head. In some households, the enumerator had to wait patiently—sometimes indefinitely—as the family debated whether the husband or the wife should be declared the head.</p>.<p>Semantics, too, can create amusing situations. A middle-aged man in a village once reported his marital status as “separated” in response to the question of whether he was single, married, widowed, divorced, or separated (not legally). When the enumerator learnt that the man’s wife was merely away at her son’s house in a neighbouring town, he ticked the entry ‘married’ -- with a wry smile. </p>.<p>Many men are reluctant to disclose the economic activities of their wives. The stock answer is often “She is only doing household work,” even if she is engaged in farming or other gainful occupation. It is therefore no surprise that women remain under-counted in labour force statistics. One hopes this tendency will not persist in the 2027 Census. </p>.<p>During one enumeration, an observant enumerator noticed an infant in a cradle while wrapping up her interview. The mother had deliberately withheld information about her newborn baby, fearing the child might attract the ‘evil eye’. The enumerator had to patiently explain that the word census, meaning full count, required the inclusion of even a one-day-old baby. </p>.<p>An interesting situation arose during the 1993 Census in The Gambia, a small West African country, which was held with my technical assistance. As polygamy was common there, a question arose: in which household should a man with three wives – each living in a separate house within the same compound-- be counted? It was decided that to avoid duplication, he would be enumerated in the household where he spends most of his time. </p>.<p>Unlike elections, which are conducted with great fanfare, the census count takes place quietly. Enumerators -- often local schoolteachers – visit every household within their allotted Enumeration Block. Occasionally, complaints arise about a household being omitted. But investigations often reveal that the enumerator did visit --only in the absence of the complainants. </p>.<p>Apart from the subtle humour they offer, these experiences remind us that a successful census depends as much on the cooperation of the public as on the diligence of the enumerators. One hopes that this spirit of partnership will shine through in the 2027 Census of India, which will mark two firsts – digitisation in data collection and enumeration of castes.</p><p><em>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)</em></p>
