Concept2 stories
Registrar General of India
In one line: The Registrar General and Census Commissioner runs India's Census and works under the Home Ministry.
What the office does
It plans the Census, trains enumerators, collects the data and publishes the results. It also keeps records of births and deaths.
Its role now
It must draw up the plan for sorting caste names in Census 2027 and send it to the Home Secretary for approval. For Census 2027, it is also running India's first digital Census, with a mobile app and an option for people to fill in their own details online.
Where to go next
- Open-Field Enumeration: Letting people write their own caste
- SECC 2011: The caste survey whose data never came out
Registrar General of India in the news
- Census 2027 first phase nears completion, PM calls it a national responsibility 28 September 2026
The office that runs the Census
- Census 2027: no decision yet on how open-field caste entries will be sorted 26 September 2026
The office that runs the Census
Previous-year questions on this
- 2024 · GS1 · 15 marks Despite comprehensive policies for equity and social justice, underprivileged sections are not yet getting the full benefits of affirmative action envisaged by the Constitution. Comment.
- 2023 · GS1 · 15 marks Why is caste identity in India both fluid and static?
- 2020 · GS1 · 10 marks Has caste lost its relevance in understanding the multi-cultural Indian Society? Elaborate your answer with illustrations.
- 2018 · GS1 · 10 marks "Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, caste system cannot be eradicated in India." Comment.
- 2014 · GS2 · 12.5 marks Two parallel run schemes of the Government, viz the Adhar card and NPR, one of voluntary and the other as compulsory, have led to debates at national levels and also litigations. On merits, discuss…