Soon you will have the census enumerator knocking your door! The massive exercise involving a billion plus people has finally begun! But this time the modus operandi would be little different! The surveyor can knock your door even in the early morning or late in the evening unlike last year when you were visited mostly in the afternoon hours.

There will be two separate forms this year, one being the main census form and the other one to collect basic information for the preparation of the Unique Identification Code. The questions have taken interesting turns and are modified keeping pace with changing times. People will be quizzed on more number of points i.e. thirty five as against twenty three in 2001. In addition to this the UID form has total of 14 points.

The questions incorporated in the questionnaire range from the number of rooms in your house to number of technological gadgets (primarily T.V, laptop, mobile phone and computer!) being used by you and your family... from the number of vehicles you own to the type of fuel used in the kitchen... from banking services being availed to having a bathroom facility inside your house! The form is expected to consume a minimum of half an hour.

But you must be aware of the punishment for uncooperative citizens! To give a serious touch to the census, the legislature has enacted a provision in the India Census Act, 1948 to penalize those who refuse to answer the questions or provide the surveyor with false information. Any person who refuses to cooperate may be fined with Rs. 1000 or/and imprisoned for 3 years!

Let us keep our fingers crossed and wait to know how much we have gained this decade in terms of demography. Also, we may receive some surprising data in the coming three years so as to the perpetration of technology in the households.

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