Hindi English Translation || Editorial || No more delays: On holding the Census

No more delays: On holding the Census

Caste enumeration (गणना, सूचीबद्ध करना) should not hold the Census (जनगणना) from being undertaken (शुरू करना, आरंभ करना) quickly

In what can only be a case of muddying the waters, the Union government is reportedly (कथित रूप से) mulling the expansion (विस्तार, वृद्धि) of data collection in the long-delayed (long-pending, not on time, overdue) Census to include caste enumeration. That caste may be one of the variables (element, feature, or factor that is likely to vary/change) in the Census could be an outcome (end result, implication, ramification, repercussion) of the strident (harsh, vocal, vociferous, forceful) demand for a caste census by several political parties. But considering the incomplete and poorly constructed nature of the Socio-Economic (सामाजिक-आर्थिक) and Caste Census of 2011, which resulted in data that were unwieldy (cumbersome, unmanageable, difficult, awkward, unhandy), inaccurate, and hence unusable, the government must not hurry (जल्दबाजी करना) into utilising the office of the Registrar General and other agencies to tabulate (arrange, order, organize, classify) caste. There must first be a definite (निश्चित, स्पष्ट) time frame to conduct the Census on a war footing (युद्ध स्तर पर). If the delay is deliberate (जानबूझकर, विचारपूर्वक), in order to allow for delimitation (सीमांकन) to be conducted first in 2026, this will be harmful not just to public policy (सार्वजनिक नीति) but also to relations with States. As of June 2024, out of 233 countries, India was one of 44 not to have conducted the Census this decade (दशक). The ostensible (supposed, so-called, claimed, professed, reported, alleged) reason provided by the Union Home Ministry was delay due to (के कारण, के चलते) the COVID-19 pandemic (the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area), but 143 other countries conducted the Census after March 2020, which marked (show, indicate, represent, denote) the onset (start, beginning, arrival) of the pandemic. India shares this dubious (debatable, questionable, unexpected) distinction (status, name; prominence, importance, significance) of not having a Census with countries affected by conflict (war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash), economic crises (a period in an economic cycle in which an economy faces difficulties for a long time) or turmoil (disorder, turbulence, confusion, trouble, chaos) such as Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Sri Lanka and in sub-Saharan Africa.

There remains little excuse to continually delay the decennial (recurring every ten years) Census, an exercise (activity, work, task, assignment) that has been conducted without fail from 1881 to 2011. Yet, the deadline to freeze (fix, set, regulate, limit, confine) administrative boundaries of districts, tehsils (an administrative division forming part of a Jilla/Zila/District; Tahsil, Taluk, Taluka, Mandal), towns and municipal bodies — a prerequisite (precondition, necessary condition, requirement, imperative) before the conduct of the Census — lapsed (expire, become void/invalid, become obsolete, out of date, terminate, discontinue) on June 30 this year. This deadline has been extended 10 times since 2019. Several public schemes such as the National Food Security Act, the National Social Assistance Programme (It is a welfare programme being administered by the Ministry of Rural Development. This programme is being implemented in rural areas as well as urban areas. NSAP represents a significant step towards the fulfilment of the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in the Constitution of India which enjoin upon the State to undertake within its means a number of welfare measures. These are intended to secure for the citizens adequate means of livelihood, raise the standard of living, improve public health, provide free and compulsory education for children etc) and the delimitation of constituencies (the specific geographical area in which voters elect a representative to a legislative body) are dependent upon the Census being conducted. Besides (apart from, other than, barring, excluding), statistical surveys that go into (examine, investigate, inquire about, analyze, review, discuss, consider) setting policy such as those related to household (family, house) and social consumption, the National Family Health Survey (a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India. Three rounds of the survey have been conducted since the first survey in 1992-93. The survey provides state and national information for India on fertility, infant and child mortality, the practice of family planning, maternal and child health, reproductive health, nutrition, anemia, utilization and quality of health and family planning services), the Periodic Labour Force Survey (National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) had been conducting surveys on employment and unemployment on quinquennial (five-yearly) basis. However, considering the need for availability of such statistics at more frequent intervals, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has launched a regular employment-unemployment survey, namely, ‘Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)’. The PLFS has been launched from April, 2017 with the objective to provide quarterly changes of various indicators of the labour market for urban areas and the annual estimates of different labour force indicators for both rural and urban areas, at State/UT and all India level), and the Sample Registration System (a large scale demographic sample survey which is being conducted in a random sample of villages and urban blocks and is based on the idea that with an adequate machinery for recording of births and deaths as they occur and with proper supervision at all levels, it is possible to obtain reliable estimates of vital rates at the State and National level), among others, use the Census to set their sampling frames (a list of all elements within the population from which a sample is selected. For the rural sector, the list of 2011 Population Census villages constitutes the sampling frame. For the urban sector, the latest available list of UFS blocks has been considered as the sampling frame). With the 2011 Census data getting increasingly (more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more) out-dated (out of date, outmoded, old-fashioned, old, bygone, obsolete, archaic.phenomena (plural noun) – occurrence, happening, event, incident) and phenomena such as migration (the movement of people within the borders of the same country or across international borders in order to find work or better living conditions) across and within States, the urbanisation (a process of creating urban areas. It is a result of population migration from rural areas in addition to natural urban demographic growth) of Indian societies, and the suburbanisation (the movement of people from urban areas to surrounding suburbs, often in search of better living conditions) of cities becoming increasingly prominent in recent years, the lack (absence, unavailability, non-existence, inadequacy) of a Census is telling (revealing, significant, important, striking, meaningful). The reliance (dependence, leaning, trust, confidence, belief) on a bevy (a group of people or things of a specific type; group, cluster, bunch, pack gang, crowd, horde) of sample surveys to fill in the gap is only resulting in debates over methodology and conclusions based on cherry-picking (pick and choose; look at the various things that are on display and select the best or the most valuable from among them) according to one’s political choice. Clearly, the Union government must stop being derelict (negligent, neglectful, careless, sloppy, slack, irresponsible, lax, delinquent) in its duties and should proceed with the Census quickly.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.census (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जनगणना
English Meaning - an official survey, particularly of a population.

2.enumeration (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गणना, सूचीबद्ध करना
English Meaning - the action of establishing the number of something; counting, numbering, tally.

3.undertake (verb)

Hindi Meaning - शुरू करना, आरंभ करना
English Meaning - start, begin, commence, embark on, get cracking on, take forward.

4.reportedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कथित रूप से
English Meaning - ostensibly, supposedly, allegedly, presumably.

5.expansion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विस्तार, वृद्धि
English Meaning - extension, enlargement.

6.socio-economic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सामाजिक-आर्थिक
English Meaning - relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects.

7.result in (verb)

Hindi Meaning - परिणामस्वरूप
English Meaning - cause, lead to, bring about, give rise to.

8.hurry (verb)

Hindi Meaning - जल्दबाजी करना
English Meaning - be quick, go fast, rush, hasten, move quickly.

9.definite (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निश्चित, स्पष्ट
English Meaning - decisive, fixed, certain, precise, specific, clear-cut, categorical

10.war footing (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युद्ध स्तर पर
English Meaning - a state of preparedness (for war).

11.deliberate (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - जानबूझकर, विचारपूर्वक
English Meaning - wilful, intentional, purposeful, conscious, pre-planned, premeditated.

12.delimitation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सीमांकन
English Meaning - the act of establishing limits or boundaries in a Treaty, Judgement or other Agreement.

13.public policy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सार्वजनिक नीति
English Meaning - the framework of laws, regulations, and actions governments implement to achieve social and economic goals.

14.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

15.due to (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के कारण, के चलते
English Meaning - because of, as a result of, thanks to, on account of, owing to.

16.muddy the waters (phrase)

English Meaning - make the issue more complicated; to make something harder to understand.

17.hold (verb)

English Meaning - conduct, organize.

18.hold (verb)

English Meaning - stop doing something.

19.mull (verb)

English Meaning - ponder, consider, contemplate, think over/about, chew over, give thought to, deliberate about/on, reflect on, evaluate, review.

20.long-delayed (adjective)

English Meaning - long-pending, not on time, overdue.

21.variable (noun)

English Meaning - element, feature, or factor that is likely to vary/change.

22.outcome (noun)

English Meaning - end result, implication, ramification, repercussion.

23.strident (adjective)

English Meaning - harsh, vocal, vociferous, forceful.

24.unwieldy (adjective)

English Meaning - cumbersome, unmanageable, difficult, awkward, unhandy.

25.Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (noun)

English Meaning - Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, founded in 1961 by Government of India Ministry of Home Affairs, for arranging, conducting and analysing the results of the demographic surveys of India including Census of India and Linguistic Survey of India.

26.tabulate (verb)

English Meaning - arrange, order, organize, classify.

27.in order to (noun)

English Meaning - so as to, with the aim of, with the intention of, in the hope of.

28.demarcation (noun)

English Meaning - the physical marking of the boundary on the ground.

29.ostensible (adjective)

English Meaning - supposed, so-called, claimed, professed, reported, alleged.

30.pandemic (noun)

English Meaning - the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.

31.mark (verb)

English Meaning - show, indicate, represent, denote.

32.onset (noun)

English Meaning - start, beginning, arrival.

33.dubious (adjective)

English Meaning - debatable, questionable, unexpected.

34.distinction (noun)

English Meaning - status, name; prominence, importance, significance.

35.conflict (noun)

English Meaning - war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash.

36.economic crisis (noun)

English Meaning - a period in an economic cycle in which an economy faces difficulties for a long time.

37.crises (plural noun)

English Meaning - plural of crisis.

38.turmoil (noun)

English Meaning - disorder, turbulence, confusion, trouble, chaos.

39.decennial (adjective)

English Meaning - recurring every ten years.

40.exercise (noun)

English Meaning - activity, work, task, assignment.

41.freeze (noun)

English Meaning - fix, set, regulate, limit, confine.

42.tehsil (noun)

English Meaning - an administrative division forming part of a Jilla/Zila/District; Tahsil, Taluk, Taluka, Mandal.

43.prerequisite (noun)

English Meaning - precondition, necessary condition, requirement, imperative.

44.lapse (verb)

English Meaning - expire, become void/invalid, become obsolete, out of date, terminate, discontinue.

45.National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) (noun)

English Meaning - An Act to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It is an Act of the Parliament of India which aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.

46.National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) (noun)

English Meaning - It is a welfare programme being administered by the Ministry of Rural Development. This programme is being implemented in rural areas as well as urban areas. NSAP represents a significant step towards the fulfilment of the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in the Constitution of India which enjoin upon the State to undertake within its means a number of welfare measures. These are intended to secure for the citizens adequate means of livelihood, raise the standard of living, improve public health, provide free and compulsory education for children etc.

47.constituency (noun)

English Meaning - the specific geographical area in which voters elect a representative to a legislative body.

48.be dependent upon (adjective)

English Meaning - depend on, be contingent on, be connected with, have a bearing on.

49.besides (preposition)

English Meaning - apart from, other than, barring, excluding.

50.go into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - examine, investigate, inquire about, analyze, review, discuss, consider.

51.household (noun)

English Meaning - family, house.

52.National Family Health Survey (NFHS) (noun)

English Meaning - a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India. Three rounds of the survey have been conducted since the first survey in 1992-93. The survey provides state and national information for India on fertility, infant and child mortality, the practice of family planning, maternal and child health, reproductive health, nutrition, anemia, utilization and quality of health and family planning services.

53.Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (noun)

English Meaning - National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) had been conducting surveys on employment and unemployment on quinquennial (five-yearly) basis. However, considering the need for availability of such statistics at more frequent intervals, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has launched a regular employment-unemployment survey, namely, ‘Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)’. The PLFS has been launched from April, 2017 with the objective to provide quarterly changes of various indicators of the labour market for urban areas and the annual estimates of different labour force indicators for both rural and urban areas, at State/UT and all India level.

54.Sample Registration System (SRS) (noun)

English Meaning - a large scale demographic sample survey which is being conducted in a random sample of villages and urban blocks and is based on the idea that with an adequate machinery for recording of births and deaths as they occur and with proper supervision at all levels, it is possible to obtain reliable estimates of vital rates at the State and National level.

55.sampling frame (noun)

English Meaning - a list of all elements within the population from which a sample is selected. For the rural sector, the list of 2011 Population Census villages constitutes the sampling frame. For the urban sector, the latest available list of UFS blocks has been considered as the sampling frame.

56.Urban Frame Survey (UFS) block (noun)

English Meaning - Urban Frame Survey (UFS) blocks are the first stage units (FSU) in the urban sector whereas Census villages are the first stage units (FSU) in the rural sector. The ultimate stage units (USU) are households in both the sectors.

57.increasingly (adverb)

English Meaning - more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more.

58.out-dated (adjective)

English Meaning - out of date, outmoded, old-fashioned, old, bygone, obsolete, archaic.phenomena (plural noun) – occurrence, happening, event, incident.

59.migration (noun)

English Meaning - the movement of people within the borders of the same country or across international borders in order to find work or better living conditions.

60.urbanisation (noun)

English Meaning - a process of creating urban areas. It is a result of population migration from rural areas in addition to natural urban demographic growth.

61.suburbanisation (noun)

English Meaning - the movement of people from urban areas to surrounding suburbs, often in search of better living conditions.

62.lack (noun)

English Meaning - absence, unavailability, non-existence, inadequacy.

63.telling (adjective)

English Meaning - revealing, significant, important, striking, meaningful.

64.reliance (noun)

English Meaning - dependence, leaning, trust, confidence, belief.

65.bevy (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people or things of a specific type; group, cluster, bunch, pack gang, crowd, horde.

66.cherry-pick (verb)

English Meaning - pick and choose; look at the various things that are on display and select the best or the most valuable from among them.