Page 26 - Health, Population and Environment Education 9

In the context of Nepal, census is conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
Initially, the government declares several days or week as census period. It makes an
appeal to people to remain in their home during the census time so that the enumerators
can meet them. The enumerators (government officers, school teachers, volunteers, etc.)
visit particular locality and visit each and every household with a set of questionnaire.
Generally, they collect the information on personal characteristics like age, sex, caste,
language, education, martial status, family size, religion, etc., the economic characteristics
like job, income, expenditure, source of income, saving, etc., the geographical
characteristics like place of birth, place of present residence, place of migration, etc. Later
on, the enumerators submit the questionnaires with information in concerned Chief
District Officer (CDO) office from where they are transferred to CBS office. In CBS office,
a team of demographers, mathematicians, statisticians and other experts unite together
for compiling, analyzing and evaluating the population data. Finally, CBS office publishes
the report on census after some period.

Census is very important for us. It provides the population data for the government to plan
and launch different development plannings. Demographers use census data to project
future population. It shows the real picture of a society. It supports for the demarcation of
electoral constituencies. It facilitates for social and economic development of a nation. But
census is very lengthy method. It consumes more man power and more investment. It is
difficult to manage. The census data may provide wrong measurement if the enumerators
are not well trained and qualified.

Types of census
There are three types of census. They are explained below:
a. Defacto method

The method in which people are counted by means of temporary and permanent living
is called defacto method. It is conducted at day/night and conducted only one day. The
government declares a particular day as census day and makes an appeal to people to
remain in their home at night so that the enumerators can meet them. In this method,
those whoever spend night at home during census time are counted. Hence, the visitors,
guests, along with the residents are counted in this method. But people travelling by bus,
train, aeroplane, etc. and those whoever are not present in home during census time are
not counted. This method requires more manpower or enumerators to conduct census
as it is conducted in a single day. It is a traditional method and not practiced nowadays.

b. Dejure method
The method in which people are counted on the basis of their permanent living is called
dejure method. It is the modern method of census. It is conducted during the day time.
The government declares several days or week as census period and makes an appeal
to people to remain in their home during the census time so that the enumerators can
meet them. It is regarded as scientific method. Tourists as well as foreigners working
in international agencies are not counted in this method. This method is practised
throughout the whole world.

26 GREEN Environment Population and Health Education Book-9