Census 2027 | Journey of India’s 1.5 billion headcount
This article reflects on the historical context of India's 1981 census, detailing the massive logistical effort and the specific social categories used at the time. It highlights how the census process has evolved to capture complex demographic data including literacy, economic activity, and migration.
Why it matters
Understanding the history of national census-taking provides insight into how governments track population growth and social development over decades.
‘They Count on You’, pleaded The Hindu’s editorial on January 15, 1981 highlighting the enormous task the enumerators were gearing up for in that decade’s population count. With 600-750 people demarcated in each ‘enumerator block’, the editorial explained that the census will consider all children below the age of four as ‘illiterate’. “So there should be no fussing around with child prodigies. They will be promptly dumped into the ranks of the illiterate,” quipped The Hindu.
'They count on you', The Hindu, January 16, 1981 The survey found that India’s population had risen to 68.38 crores, an increase of 13.56 crores since 1971. Males continued to outnumber females, clocking a sex ratio of 935. The census also revealed a drop of 50 per lakh in the population.
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