Those who do not self-enumerate for the first phase of Census or for NPR, can do so for the subsequent phase of the Census – population enumeration – provided they have furnished their mobile number during the HLO phase.
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Interestingly, the pre-requisite of self-enumeration for NPR to be able self-enumerate for the houselisting phase of Census comes even as around 14 states had in 2020 objected to Register’s proposed new format, with a majority passing resolutions in their assemblies to put on hold NPR activities within their jurisdictions.
Some of the opposing states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have since seen a change in the ruling dispensation.
Though there is no indication from the central government when Census and NPR, on hold in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be held, experts said with the general elections next year, the earliest opportunity could present itself in 2025.
Justifying the restriction of self-enumeration facility for HLO, the newly-released ORGI publication ‘A Treatise on Indian Censuses Since 1981’ states that NPR provides a “frame” for SE for HLO, just like HLO provides an unambiguous frame for population enumeration. It argued that SE is allowed only in countries that either have a robust address system or have a frame such as population register.
