Census and other data collection systems in India

The census of India plays a vital role in the collection of accurate and reliable data from all over India. This further helps in the conduction of surveys during the interim period for various purposes. Relevant searches for articles were made on search engines like PubMed, Google Scholar etc. on the census while relevant policy documents on the census and other national level surveys were reviewed. The authors found that the census collects data not just on the Indian citizenry, it serves as the framework for almost all the national level surveys conducted across India. This enables the triangulation of data collected from these various sources. Further, the census is vital in the conduction of various activities of the nation like administration, business, research, planning and policymaking. The authors conclude that conduction of the census is an essential activity for the functioning of a nation. The association of the census with the various other surveys in the country helps increase their robustness.