Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics
Volume 5: Population Censuses

India

1.Name and address of the organization responsible for the census:

Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, 2-A, Man Singh Road, New Delhi-110 011.

2.Population censuses conducted since 1945 (years):

1951, 1961, 1971, 1981 and 1991. The present description relates to the 1991 population census (held on 1st March).

3.Coverage of the census:

(a) Geographical scope

Whole country, except Jammu and Kashmir.

(b) Persons covered

All persons of all ages, except foreign diplomats and their families and nationals residing abroad. The staff of Indian Missions abroad and their families were covered by the census.

4.Reference period:

The year preceding the census day.

5.Main topics:

(a) Total population, by sex and age: yes

Economically active population by:

(b) Sex and age group: yes

(c) Industry: yes

(d) Occupation: yes

(e) Status in employment: yes

(f) Highest educational level: yes

(g) Hours of work: no

(h) Other characteristics: no

Re (a): The age is defined in terms of age at last birthday.

6.Concepts and definitions:

(a) Economically active population

It comprises all persons who, during the reference year, were usually either employed or unemployed, according to the definitions given below. No age limit was fixed for inclusion in the economically active population; however, for employed persons, the published results relate to persons aged 5 years and over (except in the primary census abstract where age-wise data were not presented). Members of the armed forces are included in the definition.

The economic activity data were processed in two stages. In stage-1, tables were based on a 10 per cent sample of individuals in bigger states with a population of ten million and above, and on a 100 per cent basis in other smaller states and union territories. In stage-2, the data relating to main workers other than cultivators and agricultural workers, marginal workers and non-workers seeking/available for work, were entered on the computer on a 100 per cent basis to generate more detailed and reliable tabulations for lower administrative units.

(b) Employment

Employment is determined on the basis of the questions: Did you work any time at all last year? and If yes, did you work for major part of last year?.

Work may be defined as participation in any economically productive activity. Such participation may be physical or mental in nature. Work involves not only actual work but also effective supervision and direction of work.

Main worker is a person who has worked a major part of the year, i.e. for 183 days or more or, in other words, for 6 months or more. Marginal worker is a person who might have done some work any time during the previous year, but not for the major part of the year. The data on secondary work done by main workers are also collected.

It is reported that the following categories are included:

  1. persons doing unpaid work in family firm or business;
  2. employed persons, temporarily absent from work;
  3. working students with a part time job;
  4. seasonal or occasional workers;
  5. conscripts for military/civilian service;
  6. apprentices and trainees.
Persons doing unpaid work in family firm or business can be identified separately from the census tabulation on family workers (except in cultivation).

Persons engaged in cultivation of land for own consumption are included in the economically active population but cannot be separately identified. Persons engaged in other production for own consumption are excluded from the economically active population. In the census, cultivation includes growing of cereal crops, pulses fibre crops, oil seeds and sugar-cane but not roots, vegetables, fruits, fodder crops, horticulture, etc.

Working students, who are marginal workers, can be identified separately through specific questions. However, the term marginal worker used in the census is not necessarily same as part-time worker.

(c) Unemployment

Considered as unemployed are all persons who, during the reference year, did not work at all and were therefore treated as non-workers. All non-workers were asked whether they were seeking work or available for work.

Students seeking work and persons seeking/available for work who had ever worked before can be identified separately through specific questions.

7.Classifications used:

Only employed persons other than cultivators and agricultural labourers are classified by industry, by occupation and by status in employment.

(a) Industry

Respondents are asked questions on the nature of industry, trade or service where they work to determine industry group. For coding industry, 462 groups of the National Industrial Classification of 1987 were used. Links to the ISIC-rev.3 have been established to the group (3-digit) level.

(b) Occupation

Respondents are asked to describe their work; both main workers and marginal workers are requested to reply this question to determine occupation group. For coding occupation, 512 occupational families of the National Classification of Occupations of 1968 were used. Links to the ISCO-68 have been established to the minor group (2-digit) level.

(c) Status in employment

Respondents are asked to specify their class of worker to determine their status in employment. For coding this variable, three groups (in case of household industry) and four groups (in case of others) were used, namely: employer; employee; single worker; family worker. There is no employer in the household industry according to the definition of household industry.

8.Main differences compared with the previous census:

The only difference in the data collection is that the question on seeking/available for work was canvassed only from non-workers in the 1991 census, whereas in the 1981 census it was canvassed both from non-workers and marginal workers. In case of persons seeking/available for work, a question whether they had ever worked before was asked for the first time in 1991, in order to know the fresh entrants in the labour force.

9.Publication of the census results:

The tables relating to the 1991 census were scheduled to be published in three stages: around 1993, by end 1994 and by end 1995. The final population totals, based on manual compilation, were to be released by end 1992.

The organization responsible for the publication of the census results is the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner for India, 2-A, Man Singh Road, New Delhi.

The final results are also available in the form of diskettes, magnetic tapes, etc. on certain terms and conditions.