ದಿ ಹಿಂದೂ ಸಂಪಾದಕೀಯ “No more delays: The Hindu Editorial on holding the Census”  ಬಳಸಲಾದ Idioms and Phrases

ದಿ ಹಿಂದೂ ಸಂಪಾದಕೀಯ “No more delays: The Hindu Editorial on holding the Census”  ಬಳಸಲಾದ Idioms and Phrases

In what can only be a case of muddying the waters, the Union government is reportedly mulling the expansion of data collection in the long-delayed Census to include caste enumeration. That caste may be one of the variables in the Census could be an outcome of the strident demand for a caste census by several political parties. But considering the incomplete and poorly constructed nature of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011, which resulted in data that were unwieldy, inaccurate, and hence unusable, the government must not hurry into utilizing the office of the Registrar General and other agencies to tabulate caste. There must first be a definite time frame to conduct the Census on a war footing. If the delay is deliberate, in order to allow for delimitation to be conducted first in 2026, this will be harmful not just to public policy but also to relations with States.

As of June 2024, out of 233 countries, India was one of 44 not to have conducted the Census this decade. The ostensible reason provided by the Union Home Ministry was delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but 143 other countries conducted the Census after March 2020, which marked the onset of the pandemic. India shares this dubious distinction of not having a Census with countries affected by conflict, economic crises or turmoil such as Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, and in sub-Saharan Africa.

There remains little excuse to continually delay the decennial Census, an exercise that has been conducted without fail from 1881 to 2011. Yet, the deadline to freeze administrative boundaries of districts, tehsils, towns, and municipal bodies — a prerequisite before the conduct of the Census — lapsed on June 30 this year. This deadline has been extended 10 times since 2019. Several public schemes such as the National Food Security Act, the National Social Assistance Programme, and the delimitation of constituencies are dependent upon the Census being conducted. Besides, statistical surveys that go into setting policy such as those related to household and social consumption, the National Family Health Survey, the Periodic Labour Force Survey, and the Sample Registration System, among others, use the Census to set their sampling frames. With the 2011 Census data getting increasingly outdated and phenomena such as migration across and within States, the urbanization of Indian societies, and the suburbanization of cities becoming increasingly prominent in recent years, the lack of a Census is telling. The reliance on a bevy of sample surveys to fill in the gap is only resulting in debates over methodology and conclusions based on cherry-picking according to one’s political choice. Clearly, the Union government must stop being derelict in its duties and should proceed with the Census quickly.

1)  Muddying the waters

• Meaning: To make a situation more confusing or complicated, often intentionally.

• Example: "The politician's vague answers only served to muddy the waters during the debate."

2)  War footing

• Meaning: A state of readiness for immediate action or conflict, often used metaphorically for urgent situations.

• Example: "The company was put on a war footing to meet the tight project deadline."

3)  Dubious distinction

• Meaning: A negative or undesirable recognition for something that is not admirable.

• Example: "The city has the dubious distinction of having the highest crime rate in the country."

4)  Decennial Census

• Meaning: A census that occurs every ten years.

• Example: "The decennial census provides vital data that is used for planning and policy-making."

5)  Freeze administrative boundaries

• Meaning: To officially stop any changes to the boundaries of administrative divisions, such as districts or municipalities, before an important task like the Census.

• Example: "The government decided to freeze administrative boundaries to ensure accurate data collection during the Census."

6)  Bevy of sample surveys

• Meaning: A large collection or group of surveys used to gather data.

• Example: "The researchers relied on a bevy of sample surveys to analyze public opinion on the new policy."

7)  Cherry-picking

• Meaning: Selectively choosing only the most favorable or advantageous items, often in a biased or unfair way.

• Example: "The report was criticized for cherry-picking data to support the company's claims."

8)  Derelict in its duties

• Meaning: Neglecting or failing to perform one's responsibilities or duties.

• Example: "The committee was accused of being derelict in its duties by not addressing the urgent issues."