April 2, 2010
ü India on Thursday launched “Census 2011,'' the biggest-ever census attempted in the history of mankind enumerating the country's 1.2 billion population and classifying usual residents according to their gender, religion, occupation and education.
· The massive exercise, to be spread over next 11 months, will mark a milestone as the first-ever National Population Register (NPR) will also be prepared in which all persons aged over 15 years will be photographed and fingerprinted to create a biometric national database.
· The 15th National Census exercise, since 1872, will see over 25 lakh officials capturing the socio-economic-cultural profile of its citizens.
· It will cost around Rs. 2,209 crore while the expenditure on NPR will be Rs. 3,539.24 crore.
· The exercise will also consume more than 11 million tonnes of paper.
· A bit about the history of Census.
o For obvious reasons, such as defence, collection of revenues and taxes and employment of population in profitable trades and services, the East India Company was anxious, soon after the Restoration in England, to obtain reliable estimates of population in its Indian settlements.
o Moreland, the famous historian estimated the total number of Indians in 1600. For numerical basis of calculation he based his studies, in the south, on the strength of the armed forces and in the north on the land under cultivation on both of which subjects contemporary figures were available.
o Meanwhile, England had begun her Census series in 1801 and the parliament was anxious to ascertain the populations of dependencies.
o Under Statistical Despatch No. 2 of 23 July, received from the Home Government, in the year 1856, the Government of India had entered upon a consideration of the means by which a general Census of the population of India might be taken in 1861.
o But the undertaking was postponed in 1859 in consequence of the Mutinies.
o Statistical organisation moved fast at the close of this decade under the leadership of Lord Mayo, Governor General. W.W. Hunter was appointed Director General of Statistical Survey in 1869.
o An experimental census of the Lower Provinces of Bengal was organised in 1869 by H. Beverley, Registrar General.
o In 1865 the Government of India and the Home Government had agreed upon the principle that a general population census would be taken in 1871.
o The years 1867-72 were spent in taking a census by the actual counting of heads in as much of the country as was practicable.
o This series, commonly known as the Census of 1872, was not a synchronous project, nor did it cover all territory possessed or controlled by the British.
o The problems of coverage and cartography that the 1872 group of censuses had presented were ably followed up by W.W. Hunter's Statistical Survey and the Survey of India, so that the Census of 1881 taken by W.C. Plowden, Census Commissioner for India, was a great step forward toward a modern synchronous and comprehensive operation.
o The Government emphasised the importance of population data and set up a Population Data Committee in 1944 to examine and advise the Government of India on the available data relating to growth of population.
o Census Act was passed in 1948 and was placed on the Statute Book.
o In 1949, the Government of India decided to initiate steps for improvement of Registration of Vital Statistics and further decided to establish a single organisation at the Centre in the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Registrar General and ex-officio Census Commissioner for India to deal with Vital Statistics and Census.
o The first census after Independence was taken in 1951.
o The schedules of 1971 Census were further modified to suit the needs of the Govt., Planning Commission, various Demographic Bodies and Scholars.
o Registrar General and Census Commissioner: C. Chandramouli
ü The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has been mandated to monitor the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
· A special division within the NCPCR will undertake this task in the coming months and a special toll-free helpline to register complaints will be set up.
· The NCPCR has invited all civil society groups, students, teachers, administrators, artists, government officials, legislators and members of the judiciary, apart from other stakeholders, to work together to build a movement to ensure that every child is in school and gets at least 8 years of quality education.
ü With the Committee on Constitutional Reforms (CCR) presenting its draft to the presiding officers of the National Assembly and the Senate on Thursday, Pakistan is now poised for a major overhaul of its governance structure.
· Besides the repeal of the 17th Amendment by which the former President, Pervez Musharraf, had transferred decisive powers to the presidency, the draft has done away with the Concurrent List to give more provincial autonomy and makes out a case for putting in place institutional mechanisms for making key appointments.
ü New launches in the small car segment and robust economic growth have led carmakers recording impressive sales in the last fiscal (2009-10).
· While leading carmaker Maruti Suzuki sold over 10-lakh units, making it the first company in India to achieve this feat in a single year, its closest competitors Hyundai and Tata Motors sold over 6-lakh and 3.5-lakh units, respectively.
· Maruti Suzuki recorded 28.55 per cent rise in its annual sales, mainly due to spate of new launches and product refreshments that helped the company clock a sterling performance. These included Ritz, all-new Grand Vitara, new Estilo with K-series engine and Eeco.
· Similarly, Hyundai recorded a 20 per cent growth during the year.
· Tata Motors, which launched all-new Indigo Manza and Sumo Grande MK II last fiscal, recorded its highest-ever cumulative, where Nano sales stood at 30,350 units.
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