India's 16th National Census, and 8th since independence, is scheduled to commence on April 1, 2026.
This upcoming census will be globally unique as it marks the world's first entirely digital population enumeration.
The primary objective is to gather comprehensive demographic and socio-economic data for national planning and policy formulation.
A census is a comprehensive, systematic process of collecting, compiling, analyzing, and disseminating demographic, economic, and social data pertaining to all persons in a country or a well-delimited part of a country at a specified time. It serves as a fundamental source of information for administrative purposes, scientific research, and policy planning, providing a snapshot of the population's characteristics.
Simple Analogy: Imagine taking a detailed, country-wide family photo where everyone fills out a form about themselves, their age, job, and where they live, to help the government understand and plan for everyone's needs.
The digital census aligns perfectly with the broader objectives of the Digital India program, promoting digital literacy, infrastructure, and services for improved governance and public service delivery.
A digital census necessitates robust frameworks for data protection, encryption, and cybersecurity to safeguard sensitive personal information collected from millions of citizens.
This initiative is a significant stride towards advanced e-governance, leveraging technology to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness of public administration.
This article places 'Census' exclusively under the legislative competence of the Union Government, empowering the Parliament to make laws concerning it.
This Act provides the legal basis for conducting the census in India, outlining the duties of census officers, the obligation of citizens to furnish information, and ensuring the confidentiality of collected data.
This organization is responsible for planning, executing, and analyzing the decennial census operations across India. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
GS-I: Indian Society, Population and associated issues. GS-II: Governance, e-governance, policies and interventions. GS-III: Science & Technology - IT, Cyber Security.
General Awareness, Current Affairs, Indian Polity.
General Awareness, Current Affairs, Government Schemes.
General Awareness, Current Affairs, Indian Polity.
General Knowledge, Current Affairs.
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Smart India Hackathon 2017? 1. It is a centrally sponsored scheme for developing every city of our country into Smart Cities in a decade. 2. It is an initiative to identify new digital technology innovations for solving the many problems faced by our country. 3. It is a programme aimed at making all the financial transactions in our country completely digital in a decade. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer: 2 only
With reference to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), consider the following statements: 1. They enable the digital representation of physical assets. 2. They are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain. 3. They can be traded or exchanged at equivalency and therefore can be used as a medium of commercial transactions. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: 1 and 2 only
In India, the term "Public Key Infrastructure" is used in the context of
Answer: Digital security infrastructure
High (Census is a fundamental governance function, and its digital transformation makes it a significant current affairs topic with long-term implications for policy and technology.)
A population enumeration process that utilizes electronic devices, digital platforms, and advanced software for data collection, processing, and analysis, moving away from traditional paper-based methods.
Statistical information about the characteristics of a population, such as age, gender, marital status, education, occupation, and geographic location.
Information that reflects the social and economic conditions of individuals or groups within a population, including income levels, housing conditions, access to amenities, and employment status.