NEW DELHI: The field activities related to the census 2021 exercise in the country have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in a written reply to a query in Lok Sabha that census 2021 was to be conducted under the provisions of the Census Act of 1948 in two phases.
They were house listing and housing census during April-September, 2020 and population enumeration during February 9-28, 2021.
"However, census-related field activities have been postponed till further orders due to COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
The minister added that in the census, data is collected on demographic and various socio-economic parameters like education, SC/ST, religion, language, marriage, fertility, disability, occupation and migration of the individuals.
It also collects data on migration characteristics along with the reasons for migration such as work/employment and business, he said.