Census not to seek bank account info, will list cereals eaten

New Delhi: The Centre has notified 31 fields of information to be sought during the Houselisting and housing census phase of Census 2021, which include a new field relating to main cereal consumed in the household. However, field number 33 in the earlier Houselisting schedule approved for Census 2021 — ‘number of household members availing banking services’ — has been dropped.

Sources said information on main cereal consumed in the household, being sought for the first time as part of Census exercise, has been included in the Houselisting and Housing Census schedule as it would give a crucial insight into food habits of a household.

The mapped data in this regard may help in designing future food policy and initiatives. Sources were however tightlipped on why the information on number of household members availing banking services is not being sought as done during the pretest and also mentioned in the houselisting schedule for Census 2021. Houselisting phase is scheduled between April and September this year.


As per the notification issued by the Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner Vivek Joshi on January 7, the central government has instructed census officers to ask questions from all persons on a total 31 items for collecting information — census house number; predominant material of floor, wall and roof of the house; use of census house; condition of house; household number; number of persons residing; name of head of household, sex of head; whether head is SC/ST; ownership status of house; no. of dwelling rooms; no. of married couple in household; main source of drinking water; availability of drinking water source; main source of lighting; access to latrine; type of latrine; waste water outlet; availability of bathing facility; main fuel used for cooking; radio/transistor; TV; access to internet; laptop/ computer; telephone/mobile/smartphone; two-wheeler owned; four-wheeler owned; main cereal consumed; and mobile number.