Socio-Economic Caste Census, 2011 - Poor Man's Census

Dr David Elangbam *

The Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), 2011 has started in Manipur from the 11th of April, 2012 where Imphal West and East Districts are taken up for the first phase. At Imphal West the census was started by collecting information from the Chief Minister of the State followed by the Governor. It is planning to be completed in 45 days.

The same census will also be started in the remaining districts in the coming days. Such type of census is taken place for the first time in Independent India. According to the schedule announced by the Government of India, it should have been conducted by the end of 2011 but the survey work was delayed in the state by the recent 10th General State Assembly Election, 2012.

The objective of SECC, 2011 is to rank household based on their socio-economic status and to enable preparation of the list of families living below poverty line along with the enumeration of authentic cast/tribe-wise population in the country. Such information will make a huge help to the planners and policy makers in the country.

It will help, specially the poor households, and will ensure better planning and proper implementation of centrally sponsored developmental schemes in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17). The SECC, 2011 was launched by Shri B.K. Sinha, Secretary, M/o Rural Development, Government of India, from Sankhola village in West Tripura district where the Registrar General of India and Chief Commissioner of Census, Shri C. Chandramouli were also present.

The census is to be conducted by the State Governments/ UTs with the technical and financial support of the Ministry of Rural Development. In Manipur also SECC, 2011 will be conducted through the department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

The database created during the National Population Register (NPR) in the Census Operation, 2011 will be utilized. Thousands of Enumerators have been given training for collecting information from every household enlisted in the Abridged House list (AHL) prepared. Detail instructions are also given to the Enumerators to include the new households and delete the shifted ones in their assigned Enumeration Blocks (EBs).

Thus, any changes or left out household in the Population Enumeration, 2011 will also be included in this census. A maximum total of 4 EBs are assigned to each Enumerator and a Supervisor is appointed to look after the work of every 6 Enumerators in their field survey. At this census work, the Primary Teachers who were earlier utilized as Enumerators in Census works are exempted because of Right to Education (RTE).

Therefore, most of the newly appointed Enumerators are ASHAs, Anganwadi workers and other departmental staffs. The information will be collected based on a self-declaration model of the res-pondents through a questionnaire which contains more or less 23 questions regarding their family members, religion, caste, employment & income and other assets like owning of moble/telephone, two/three/four wheelers, agricultural equipments like tractor, power tiller etc.

This time, the unique feature of data collection in this census is going to be a "paper-less" survey work. Low cost handheld device called "PC Tablet" will be used to enter data in the field. Therefore, each Enumerator will be accompanied by a Data Entry Operator (DEO) to fit the information in the prescribed format in their corresponding codes.

This will reduce time required in processing the data after collection in the field. Daily data collection in the field will be transferred at the charge centre and everyday record will be maintained by the Charge Officer. Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL) is involved in the production of the handheld device on large scale. National Informatics Centre (NIC) will develop Management of Information System (MIS) for the management of database of SECC, 2011 and to facilitate for its subsequent use by MoRD, other ministries and State Government for their own requirement in future.

The most important part of the SECC is the correct data collection by the Enumerators and the sincere response of the respondents. Even though there will be the provisions of verification and approval of the enlisted BPL list prepared from the survey by the Gram Sabha concerned, the correct information given by the respondent during survey is desirable.

The identification of BPL from the data will be done based on the basis of deprivation of some criteria by a household. Nature of house roof, walls, source of income and amount, disable members in the household, possession of land other than the homestead land and other assets like refrigerator, telephone/mobile, two/three/four wheelers, owning Kisan Credit Card (Rs. 50000/- and above) etc. are going to be the main deciding factors. This census will pay special attention to the poor people and will help them in future.

Providing wrong information by the respondents will never help the SECC, 2011. Whenever there is any doubt to the response of a respondent, it will be reported by the Enumerator to the concerned authority. Enumerators will never argue with the respondent. Any claims and objections for providing wrong information will be raised to the Ministry of Rural Development before finalizing the data and preparation of BPL list.

Therefore, the Enumerators and respondents should give the correct information to make the First Socio-Economic Caste Census, 2011 a grand success from which we get good response in the future developmental and beneficiary schemes taken up by the Central and State Governments.