India unveils training framework for census workers on sensitive demographic questions
The government has introduced a structured training program to help census enumerators handle sensitive topics such as religion, caste and disability in the second phase of the national census.
The Centre has rolled out a comprehensive training framework for census enumerators tasked with the second phase of the national population count, which includes a broader set of sensitive questions on religion, caste, language, disability, migration, fertility and economic activity. The framework, encapsulated in the acronym PRAMAN-Rishta-Anurodh-Madad-Aankada Shuddhata-Nishtha, aims to improve both technical proficiency and interpersonal rapport with respondents.
Registrar General of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan highlighted that the margin for error is narrower in Phase II and stressed the importance of producing a complete and accurate demographic picture. Training will focus on proper probing techniques and correct coding for complex categories, such as open-ended caste declarations. Phase II has already started in Ladakh and the snow-bound regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with fieldwork in poll-bound states scheduled for December 1, 2026 to January 4, 2027 and a nationwide completion deadline of March 1, 2027.
Why it matters
Accurate census data on sensitive demographics informs policy, resource allocation and political representation across India.
In this story
