Census: RGI directs to update geo-spatial data for natural features, transport
Census 2027, for which field exercise will formally begin from April 1 next year, was announced by the ministry of home affairs in June this year
New Delhi: All natural features such as rivers, streams, and reserved forests; transportation features including national, state highways as well as railway lines and stations should be ‘duly’ updated in the geo-spatial data layers along with all administrative boundaries for the upcoming Census 2027, the office of registrar general of India (ORGI) has directed all its field offices.
In the circular number 4, titled ‘updating of base maps for Census 2027’, issued on September 8, RGI Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan said, “As the updated geo-spatial data of administrative boundaries shall be used as digital framework for creating Charges (different aspects of field work for enumeration are recorded in a charge register during Census) and then for delineating houselisting blocks, you are requested to take necessary steps, to expedite the mapping activities and monitor them for timely completion of the tasks”.
These maps will be used for verification of every village and town (with wards) falling within sub-districts and ULBs (urban local bodies). The updates will cover all jurisdictional changes that have taken place in the country since January 1, 2010.
The circular states - “All natural features, such as rivers, streams, and reserved forests, must be duly updated in the geo-spatial data layers provided by map division (of Census). In addition, transportation features, including national and state highways as well as railway lines (broad gauge and meter gauge), are to be carefully reviewed and updated in the respective layer based on the latest available information. Particular attention should be given to the accurate depiction of railway station locations (if available), as well as the correct mapping and numbering of national and state highways”.
Census 2027, for which field exercise will formally begin from April 1 next year, was announced by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in June this year. A notification for intent to conduct the decadal exercise was issued on June 16.
“The DCOs (Directors of Census Operations) shall use the harmonized geo-spatial data of administrative boundaries, as shared by the map division, ORGI, for incorporating jurisdictional changes required for Census 2027”, the circular reads.
Narayan further directed that “all updates whether creation of new districts, sub-districts, villages, towns or modification of existing boundaries shall strictly be carried out using reliable government data sources such as the survey, settlement, revenue, land record departments of the states/UTs, Bharat maps of NIC, Jal Jeevan Mission, PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana), etc. The source of data used for effecting changes in the existing geometry shall be mandatorily recorded in the relevant field of the geo-spatial data. No update shall be undertaken without recording the source of data for making such changes.”
The 16th Census will be conducted in two phases. In phase one i.e. house-listing operation (HLO), the housing conditions, assets and amenities of each household will be collected. Subsequently, in the second phase i.e. population enumeration (PE), the demographic, socio-economic, cultural and other details of every person in each household will be collected.
The much-delayed Census, which will include caste enumeration, will be completed by March 1, 2027. Officials have said that while the data collection would be over by March 1, 2027, the entire exercise to collate the data and publish it will take two to three years.
The ministry of home affairs has said that the 16th Census will see involvement of about 3.4 million enumerators and supervisors.
It also said that the upcoming census “will be conducted through digital means using mobile applications” and “provision of self-enumeration would also be made available to the people”
