Context
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has told a Parliamentary panel that India’s existing criteria for defining Census Towns do not adequately reflect changing economic activity, regional diversity and peri-urban growth. However, the Registrar General of India (RGI) has decided to retain the existing framework for Census 2027.
Explanation
- India recognises Statutory Towns and Census Towns for Census purposes. A Statutory Town has an urban local body such as a municipality, corporation or cantonment board.
- A Census Town must simultaneously have population ≥5,000, population density ≥400 persons/sq. km, and ≥75% of male main workers engaged in non-agricultural activities.
- Census Town is a statistical classification, and such settlements may continue to be governed by rural local bodies or Gram Panchayats.
- MoHUA argues that the male-worker criterion overlooks female workforce participation, while uniform population and density thresholds may disadvantage hilly and northeastern regions.
- It also proposes recognising peri-urban settlements, growth corridors and transitional areas, reflecting the rural-to-urban continuum.
- RGI, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, conducts the Census and has retained the existing criteria for Census 2027.
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