Mobile App for collection of data and a Census Portal for management and monitoring of various Census related activities have been developed. Instruction manuals for enumerators and other Census functionaries have been prepared. A pre-test of Census was undertaken from 12^th August, 2019 to 30^th September, 2019 in selected areas of all the States and Union Territories to test the Census questionnaire and methodology. An amount of Rs.8754.23 crore has been approved for conducting the forthcoming Census. Due to outbreak of Covid-19, the Census and other related field activities have been postponed.

On request from States, the date of freezing the boundaries of administrative units has been extended up to 31.03.2021.

The reference date for the Census is 00:00 hr. of the 1st day of October in the snow bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand whereas the reference date for other parts of India is 00:00 hr. of the 1st day of March.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to question in the Lok Sabha today.

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NW/RK/PK/AD/DDD/1357

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