CENSUS and SECC

Subject : Governance

Concept :

Difference between CENSUS and SECC

The duration of Census 2011 and SECC 2011 was different. Census 2011, was conducted during 9th to 28th February 2011.
While Socio Economic Caste Census 2011 was largely carried out in 2011 and 2012 with a few states taking enumeration and verification in 2013 also.
Individual information(personal data) gathered under the Census Act, 1948, (Census 2011 is conducted under Census Act,1948 not SECC) are kept confidential.
While the SECC, 2011 requires putting such statistics (except for caste-related data) in the public domain.
Apex organization for Census is Census Commissioner (Home Ministry) While for SECC it is Rurul Development ministry and Planning Commission.
Purpose of the census is to provide general demographic information: age, gender, religion, occupation, migration etc.
While SECC helps in preparing BPL list and identifying beneficiaries for welfare schemes.

Features of SECC

SECC 2011 is the first paperless census in India.
Household data was taken from the National Population Register along with the temporary identification number.
At each stage there was an opportunity for transparency and grievance redressal.
SECC methodology defines poverty through deprivation, instead of consumption.
SECC takes caste into account for the first time since 1931.

About Census

The census provides information on size, distribution and socio-economic, demographic and other characteristics of the country’s population.
During the regime of the Mughal king Akbar, the administrative report ‘Ain-e-Akbari’ included comprehensive data pertaining to population, industry, wealth and many other characteristics.
A systematic and modern population census, in its present form was conducted non synchronously between 1865 and 1872 in different parts of the country.
However, the first synchronous census in India was held in 1881. Since then, censuses have been undertaken uninterruptedly once every ten years.