Union Minister for Home Affairs, Amit Shah presided as Chief Guest over the Foundation Stone laying ceremony of Janganana Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said that a scientific Census process is seminal in the development of not only the social flow in the Nation, but also for laying out the future plan of development for the last man in the society. The Home Minister expressed confidence that the Janganana Bhawan building would get completed well in time and that the mammoth exercise of the Census 2021 would get completed here and the Census figures would be announced to the Nation from this building only.
Stressing on the importance of people's participation in the Census process, the Home Minister observed that 130 crore Indians need to be made aware about the importance of Census, as it is the foundation for long-term future planning for growth and development in the country. The valuable data generated from the Census exercise is useful for multifarious developmental activities. Each citizen would be able to participate in country's development process only when they are aware of the multi-dimensionality of the Census process and the data it generates, he added.
Talking about the use of latest technological developments during the Census 2021 process, Shah said that the process of a 'Pen-Paper Census' would be transformed to a 'Digital Census’ in the upcoming Census exercise by using the latest technology. He informed that this step is a revolutionary initiative that is being taken during the Census 2021 exercise. In this process, people would be able to upload the details of self and family on the newly developed mobile app themselves. Shri Shah emphasized that besides maintaining the data in paper forms, availability of data in digital form would help in its detailed multi-dimensional analysis and utilisation for public welfare, using latest software. Home Minister congratulated the office of Registrar General of India (RGI) for this path breaking initiative.
The Home Minister informed that the 2021 census would be, inter alia, an exercise in the study of human resources, public life, culture and economic infrastructure in the country. It would function as the building block for scientific planning of the future economic development in the country. He added that constituencies would get delimited based on this census data, which would lead to strengthening of the democratic process in India at all levels. It is of great importance that this Census becomes a 'Jan Bhagidari' exercise like never before.
Shah informed that this is the first time that the National Population Register (NPR) would come into being as the result of the Census exercise. This is a new initiative altogether which would be a solution to multifarious problems facing the country that range from effective maintenance of law and order to efficient implantation of welfare schemes like MGNREGS, food security and nutrition campaigns etc., he added.
The Home Minister gave the example of how the Census 2011 data was efficiently utilised under the Ujjwala Yojana. The LPG connection beneficiaries were mapped digitally and based on the data analysis, the government got to know about the disparity in the spatial distribution of LPG connections. Subsequently, a well planned LPG connection distribution process was initiated and today 8 crore LPG connections have been distributed in last 5 years and now over 95% of the people have gas connections, he said. Based on 2021 figures, it would be ensured that no one is left without an LPG connection when the Nation celebrates the 75th anniversary of its Independence in 2022, he added.
Underlying the importance of the Census exercise, Shri Shah emphasized that this exercise must not be taken as a one-time, monotonous exercise. It needs to be remembered that this exercise would lead to development in the Nation for next many decades to come and bring smiles to the people of the country. The Home Minister informed that 22 welfare schemes of the government have been mapped based on these Census figures only. Whether it is providing clean drinking water, road connectivity, electricity, opening bank branches or health and education infrastructure, sanitation or food and civil supply, the basic planning for delivery of public services is based on the Census data. Shri Shah took the example of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme, wherein the challenging task of saving the girl child and increasing female literacy was accomplished by efficient targeting of awareness campaigns and other welfare schemes across the country. Based on this, he also gave example of Haryana's efficient use of census information to improve its track record regarding child sex ratio. Such accomplishments can only take place when the process of Census is fool-proof and accurate, he added.
Stressing on the importance of Census exercise being complete and holistic, the Home Minister said that this Census would be conducted in major Indian languages and on the mobile app so as to facilitate the people to easily update their details digitally, in their own language. He said that the importance of this vast exercise can be understood from the fact that the Government is going to spend around Rs. 12000 crores during the Census 2021 and developing the NPR, which is the highest ever. He further added that the officers of the RGI who are present here from across the country are responsible to make this digital census exercise a success. Everyone must realise the multi-dimensional uses and benefits of going digital in this exercise.
Talking about the future potential of an efficient and scientific digital Census process, Shah said that digital census has a great future potential and if efficiently done, it could lead to provision of public services through one platform. He clarified that the government has not taken any decision in this regard.
पहली बार पेपर सेंसेस से डिजिटल सेंसेस का परिवर्तन होगा
केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह ने आज यहाँ जनगणना भवन के शिलान्यास समारोह के मौके पर बोलते हुए कहा कि परंपरागत रूप से जनगणना होती आई है परंतु 1865 से 1872 के दौरान जनगणना का वर्तमान स्वरूप आया। शाह ने बताया कि कुल सोलहवीं जनगणना तथा आजादी के बाद आठवीं जनगणना होने जा रही जिसमें सूचना एकत्र करने के लिये मोबाइल एप का प्रयोग भी किया जायेगा। उनका कहना था कि पहली बार पेपर सेंसस से डिजिटल सेंसस का परिवर्तन होगा। उन्होंने बताया कि इसके अंदर 16 भाषाओं में जानकारी दी जा सकती है जिसका सत्यापन किया जायेगा।
अमित शाह ने कहा कि 2011 की जनगणना में पता चला कि भारत बहुभाषी देश है तथा देश में 270 बोलियां हैं। उनका कहना था कि 2011 कि जनगणना के आधार पर श्री नरेंद्र मोदी की सरकार बनने के बाद 2014 में सोचने की शक्ति में बदलाव हुआ और चुनौतियों को समाप्त करने का विचार शुरू हुआ । श्री शाह ने यह भी कहा कि 2011 की जनगणना के आँकड़ों के आधार पर आमजन तक बिजली पहुंचाने से लेकर शौचालय तक 22 विभिन्न योजनाओं पर कार्य किया गया| उनका कहना था कि उज्जवला योजना में उपयोग हुआ और 8 करोड़ परिवारों को सिलेंडर दिया गया। उनका कहना था कि आजादी की 75 वीं वर्षगांठ पर 2022 में एक भी व्यक्ति ऐसा नहीं होगा जिसके घर में गैस चूल्हा ना हो| उनका यह भी कहना था कि 2011 की जनगणना के आधार पर हरियाणा में लिंग अनुपात की दिशा में सुधारात्मक काम किये गये हैं।
अमित शाह ने कहा कि जनगणना 2021 में मोबाइल एप का प्रयोग कर डिजिटल डाटा एकत्र किया जायेगा और सही तथा विस्तृत डेटा उपलब्ध होने से विश्लेषण कर देश के विकास का खाका तैयार करने में मदद मिलेगी। उन्होंने ने कहा कि डेटा विश्लेषण के वैज्ञानिक तरीके से विधानसभा तथा लोकसभा के क्षेत्र तथा आरक्षित क्षेत्रों को तय किया जाता है । उन्होंने कहा कि इससे देश के अर्थ तंत्र को मजबूत करने, विकास की नींव डालने तथा लोकतंत्र को मजबूत करने का काम किया जायेगा।
अमित शाह ने कहा कि पहली बार राष्ट्रीय जनसंख्या रजिस्टर (एनपीआर) बनाने जा रहे हैं जिससे देश की कानून व्यवस्था में सुधार होगा तथा देश के विकास को नई राह मिलेगी | उनका कहना था कि जनगणना का कार्य लोगों को सरकारी योजनाओं का लाभ प्रदान करने और उनके घर में उजाला और खुशी देने का आधार है। उनका यह भी कहना था कि जनगणना, देश से गरीबी भगाने तथा देश को शिक्षित बनाने का आधार है|
अमित शाह ने कहा कि जनगणना के बहुआयामी उपयोगों को देखते हुए यह कहा जा सकता है कि डिजिटल जनगणना से डेटा एकत्र किया जा सकेगा जिससे जन्म-मृत्यु पंजीकरण के आधार पर मतदाता सूची अपडेट करनी होगी।
