India's daunting task: Count a sixth of humanity

From CNN New Delhi Bureau Chief Satinder Bindra

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- For the past few days, 2.2 million volunteers in India have been fanning out across the giant country to count its 1 billion residents, about one sixth of humanity.

The results, due in March, will be used by the Indian government to help it spend funds to improve health, education and living standards.

But the task is daunting, Indian officials say.

"The exercise is spread over 35 states, or provinces as we say, 593 districts, over 5,000 towns, 640,000 villages, and it's done in 18 languages," said Jaideep Banthia, India's Census Commissioner.

This year India is making an effort to count people it has never counted before, including mentally ill children and the disabled, most of whom beg for a living

Heera Lal, a panhandler, said instead of counting people like him the government should provide more aid.

"The government should give us stores which we could run and then earn a livelihood," he said.

The numerators, who number about the same as the population of Mongolia, are finding many who don't want to cooperate or don't like the way they are counted.

"Sometimes people don't even open the door, or sometimes they'll just talk to us from upstairs," said Madhu Nasa, a census counter.

The government decided to take a different approach this year to counting prostitutes after the women objected to being listed as beggars. They will now be listed as "self-employed sex workers," said census officials.

Census officials are also warning Indians they must answer all census questions honestly or face a fine and up to three months in jail.

India's census army takes to the road
February 9, 2001
Celebration, introspection as India's billionth citizen is born
May 11, 2000

A Worldwatch News Brief -- India's Population
United Nations Population Information Network
Census of India
Indian Reporter

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.