By Mohd Shahanshah Ansari & Abdul Rahim Ahmed,
The Census 2011 that began nationwide from 1st April 2010 is being conducted in two phases, namely i) Houselisting and Housing Census and ii) Population Enumeration. The census 2011 will help decide number of BPL people in 2013. If anyone fails to get into the databank he will be out of UIDAI which is an indirect proof of ‘citizenship’ for every individual.
The Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) has appealed to all citizens in general and Muslims in particular to actively involve themselves in the process of the Census 2011 as it is very important owing to its linkage to NPR, Unique Ids, BPL Data, and National Identity Card.
Each and every household will be given an Acknowledgement Slip at the time of enumeration which has to be saved carefully for further use. Biometrics such as photograph, 10 fingerprints and probably Iris information will be added for all persons aged 15 years and above. Details such as Name, Date of Birth, Sex, Present Address, Permanent Address, Names of Father, Mother and Spouse etc will be gathered by visiting each and every household.
Each household will be required to bring the Acknowledgement Slip to camps arranged at every village and at the ward level. Those who miss these camps will be given the opportunity to present themselves at permanent NPR Centres to be set up at the Tehsil/Town level.
The National Population Register (NPR) would have the data of every person enumerated during the Census operations irrespective of age. It would also have the biometric data and UID Number of every person of age 15 years and above. National Identity Cards will be given in a phased manner to all usual residents by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India.
What am I supposed to do?
*Be Present at the Time of the Visit of the Enumerator
*Give Clear answers for all listed questions
*Do not UNDERSTATE or OVERSTATE things
*Ensure if the data provided is properly entered
*Sign the Sheet after verifying the data
*Receive the acknowledgement slip and save it
*When announced those with 15 years and above visit the biometric data collection camps along with the acknowledgement slip and enrol yourself in the NPR Biometric Data Register.
Whom do I contact in case my house is not covered?
The local Tehsildar/Ward Officer of your area is the designated officer. In case of need you can also contact the Collector/DC/DM of your District or the Commissioner of your Town. You can also intimate Census officials over email or contact them over the toll free number given in this website (http://www.censusindia.gov.in).
How do I ensure that the information given by me is being correctly entered?
The NPR form has to be signed by you. In case you require, ask the Enumerator to read it out to you and then affix your signature/thumb impression. In any case do ascertain that the details are correctly entered. Important fields to check include Spellings, Nationality and Dates of Birth etc.
How people working abroad will be registered in National Population Register?
This is a Register of Usual Residents. If a person is staying at a particular place for 6 months in the past one-year or intends to stay there for at least 6 months in the future, they will be covered. Hence NRIs should be effectively included as they would return within the slated period.
General Instructions
1. No documentary support for the statement is necessary
2. Backward Muslims should make use of column OBC/SC/ST and choose OBC option. No documents need to be produced.
3. For non residents-Their name should be included as either as code 1 or code 2.
4. The families should ensure presence at home during the census and must rearrange any trip during this period; if they miss out they should contact the Concerned Officers.
5. Must check and verify the form which is filled by enumerators. No room should be given to dishonest manipulators who are doing a disservice to the nation by incorrect data entry.
The dates on which Census is being conducted in various States/Union Territories is given below:
| Date of commencement | States /UTs |
| 1st April to 15th May, 2010 | New Delhi (NDMC area), West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, A & N Islands, Goa, Meghalaya |
| 7th April to 22nd May, 2010 | Kerala, Lakshadweep, Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim |
| 15th April to 31st May, 2010 | Karnataka, Arunachal, Chandigarh |
| 21st April to 4th June, 2010 | Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu |
| 26th April to 10th June, 2010 | Tripura, Andhra Pradesh |
| 1st May 15th June, 2010 | Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Maharashtra |
| 7th May to 22nd June, 2010 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 15th May to 30th June, 2010 | J & K, Manipur, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh |
| 1st June to 15th July, 2010 | Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Himachal Pradesh (non synchronous), Nagaland |
[Photo by indiacurrentaffairs.org]