• The Seventh Economic Census is yet to receive approval from a majority of states for the government to finalise nationwide results, the ministry of statistics & programme implementation (MoSPI) said. 

• Of the 35 states and UTs participated in the Census, 22 are yet to grant approval.

• West Bengal has not participated in the Seventh Economic Census.

• As many as 12 states/UTs have not approved the provisional results and it is pending in 10 states/UTs for decision on approval.

• The Seventh Economic Census was conducted by MoSPI in 2019. 

• The ministry partnered with CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle under the ministry of electronics and information technology as the implementing agency. 

• In the Seventh Economic Census, an IT based digital platform for data capture, validation, report generation and dissemination was used. 

• The results of the exercise will be made available after verification and validation of the field work.

What is the purpose of Economic Census?

• A reliable and robust database is the foundation of organised and proper planning. The Central Statistics Office (CSO), since its inception, has been instrumental in creation of databases for various sectors of the economy and its periodic updation, so as to meet the requirements of the planners for sound and systematic planning both at the macro as well as micro levels. 

• While data requirements may be enormous in various sectors, the judicious collection and maintenance of data for various sectors within the available resource is a challenge. 

• Our economy can broadly be classified into two sectors — agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. 

• Fairly reasonable database exists for agricultural sector.

• Keeping in view the importance of the non-agricultural sector in the economy and non-availability of basic frame for adoption in various sampling techniques for collection of data and estimation of various parameters, conducting Economic Census was felt necessary. 

• With this background, the CSO started Economic Census for preparing frame of establishments, particularly the ‘area frame’ which could be used for various surveys for collection of detailed data, mainly on non-agricultural sector of the economy. 

• With so much diversity, the units engaged in non‐farm economic activities, if measured properly, will give indications about location‐wise economic activities, occupations, employment and relatively inactive locations in terms of the characteristics measured.

• Conducting periodic Economic Census has been the means of measuring the diversity of non‐farm economic activities in all its major dimensions. 

• The Economic Census provides the complete count of all establishments within the geographical boundary of India, including those in the unorganised sectors, which have a huge contribution in the Indian economy in terms of employment generation. 

• It provides disaggregated information on various operational and structural variables of all establishments of the country, and provides a valuable insight into the geographical spread/clusters of economic activities, ownership pattern, persons engaged, etc. 

• The information collected during the Economic Census are useful for socioeconomic development planning at state and district levels. 

• Economic Census provides an updated sampling frame for follow-up enterprise surveys undertaken for detailed and comprehensive analysis of all establishments in the country.

The origin of Economic Census

• The Economic Enquiry Committee set up in 1925 under the chairmanship of Dr. Visweswarayya, and the Bowley-Robertson Committee set up later in 1934, were mainly responsible for the government’s decision to set up an Inter-Departmental Committee with the economic adviser to the government of India as the chairman. 

• The Inter-Departmental Committee recommended the formation of a Central Statistical Office for coordination, institution of a statistical cadre, establishment of state bureaus at state headquarters and maintenance of important statistics for the entire country. 

• Bowley and Robertson Committee also commissioned a study to explore the possibility of conducting Economic Censuses in India. 

• The first coordinated approach was made by the Central Statistical Organisation by launching a plan for ‘Economic Census and Surveys’ in 1976. 

• The scheme envisaged organising countrywide census of all economic activities (excluding those engaged in crop production and plantation) followed by detailed sample surveys of unorganised segments of different sectors of non-agricultural economy in a phased manner during the intervening period of two successive Economic Censuses.

• The First Economic Census was conducted throughout the country, except Lakshadweep, during 1977 in collaboration with the states/UTs. 

• The coverage was restricted to only non‐agricultural establishments employing at least one hired worker on a fairly regular basis. Data on items such as description of activity, number of persons usually working, type of ownership, etc were collected. 

• The subsequent Censuses were conducted in the years 1980, 1990, 1998, 2005. The Sixth Economic Census was conducted in 2013. 

The plan for Seventh Economic Census

• The government appointed a Taskforce on Improving Employment Data in May 2017, under the chairpersonship of NITI Aayog vice chairman to suggest ways and means of improving employment data. 

• The taskforce made various recommendations in its report submitted in August 2017, including that the MoSPI may undertake the Economic Census every three years, beginning with the Seventh Economic Census. 

• All households/establishments engaged in non‐agricultural economic activities including construction, except public administration, defence and compulsory social security are  covered in the Seventh Economic Census. 

• Once the model of conduct of the Seventh Economic Census stabilises, the scope can be  enhanced to include these sectors from the Eighth Economic Census onwards. 

• All households and establishments are covered in the Seventh Economic Census. Enumeration blocks of Population Census 2011 will form the primary geographical unit.

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