The Census exercise is not just about the data that is released after the analysis. There is a huge planning exercise that is involved. Here is an explainer about what happens before, during & after the Census exercise. India’s decennial population census is one of the largestadministrative activity in the world. Collecting socio-economic informationwith various parameters for a population of 130+ crores requires extensiveplanning and execution. Factly has in an earlier story highlighted the evolution of the census in India over the years and thepremise for upcoming 2021 census. In this explainer, we focus on the processesinvolved in the planning and execution of the census exercise. Preparatory work forms the most critical and extensive phase of census activity The population census activity involves multipleactivities which are carried on in sequential phases as listed in the belowdiagram. The Preparatory Phase The first phase of the census activity isthe Preparatory phase where all the planning and groundwork for the ensuingenumeration activity takes place. There are multiple activities involved inthis phase , whose goal is to ensure that everything is in place by the timethe census enumeration activity begins on the ground. a. Legislation The census activity is backed bylegislation as per Census of India Act, 1948. The activities are kick-started by thenotification issued by the Central government in accordance section 3 in the Census Act. Government of Indiahas released the notification for Census for 2021, which has set in motion thecensus activity. The law makes it obligatory on the part of citizens toanswer the questions truthfully. b. Universal Coverage of Area & Identification of House holds One of the major objectives of anypopulation census exercise is to ensure that every area is covered and alsodoes not overlap. Hence, one the key preparatory activity involves locatingevery local area and to ensure that resources are in place to cover the wholearea for enumeration. While the focus of a population census isto enumerate every individual, a household is considered as the operationalunit for enumeration. A household is referred to as a group of persons living together. An entire house canbe occupied by a single household or can be shared by multiple households. A delimitation of the territory would beundertaken to account for every single household. House -numbering is a critical activity inthe build-up to the census activity. A distinct House-listing activity is takenup prior to the census. This activity would take place during the latter halfof 2020. c. Determining territorial units The territorial units for which the primarycensus data needs to be presented is finalised. These territorial units include– villages, towns, blocks, tehsils, talukas, districts etc. Determining theseterritorial blocks would help in developing the census organization and todemarcate the jurisdiction of the hierarchy involved in the census activity. Any delimitation or changes to theterritories in respect to the creation of new villages, towns or districts etc.are identified in the activity. A circular for this activity for ‘Census 2021’ has already beenissued. Demarcation of rural and Urban areas, formation of Urban Agglomerations, demarcating villages etc. are part ofthe preparatory activity. Location codesare identified for each of the villages, talukas, districts and urban areaswhich helps in easy enumeration as well as analysis. d. Preparing Maps After the finalization of the territorialunit, maps are prepared to help in demarcating the boundaries including that ofthe country, states, districts, talukas, cities and villages. These maps wouldhelp the census officers to identify their jurisdiction limits. The Mapdivision of ORGI (Office of Registrar General of India) takes up this activity.This activity for 2021 census has begunwith a circular issued on 10 May , 2019. The territorial boundaries need tobe frozen prior to the initiation of enumeration. e. Census organization and personnel Population census is handled by Office ofRegistrar General & Census Commissioner India, which is under the aegis ofthe Home Ministry. Census Commissioner of India heads the operation. VivekJoshi has been recently appointed as the Census Commissioner. The Census ofIndia Act , 1948 has provisions for the appointment of various officers at different levelsin view of the territorial jurisdiction as well as in line with theresponsibilities. In-charge officers, supervisors and enumerators are alsoappointed specifically for the purpose of census activity. There are 33 directorates of Census Operation inIndia, which work under the aegis of Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner.