Nearly 48 per cent of Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) is over in the State and the entire process is expected to be completed in the next one month, according to director of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu, S Gopalakrishnan.
Addressing a gathering at People’s Education Trust, Ambedkar Academy, on Saturday, Gopalakrishnan said this is the first time after independence such an enumeration of different communities is being taken up.
He said the census is being done through an electronic format using a tablet computer. “The questionnaire has 18 questions besides two others which focus on religion and caste. The last two are confidential,” he added.
He said there are different sets of questions for those living in the urban areas and for those in the rural areas. The census directorate is also conducting census on various communities in the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, most backward classes and forward classes after a request from the State.
The first stage of census for national population register is over and the biometric data is being prepared in nine districts, he said. “In Chennai, it will take a year or six months to prepare biometric data,” he said. The objective of NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database in the country with full identification by registering every resident in the country. “This will help in targeting the benefits and services under the government schemes and prevent identity fraud,” he added.