The Centre is ready with a list of states and Union Territories for the first digital National Population Register (NPR) under census 2021 putting newly created Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir on top where the mammoth exercise would start in September 2020.

Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India --founded in 1961 by Ministry of Home Affairs for arranging, conducting and analysing the results of the demographic surveys of India, including census and linguistic survey - has put Jammu and Kashmir on the top of the list as it is a hilly area.

The 2021 census would begin from all hilly areas in which Jammu and Kashmir is on the top followed by Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, aCensus India 2021 helpline operator told IANS.

Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh would be covered in the second phase of the exercise, said the operator, who was contacted at 18001802021 toll free number.In the telephonic conversation, the female operator, whose name is withheld, said the population-based census 2021 exercise would be held in Jammu and Kashmir from September 11, 2020 to September30, 2020.

Jammu and Kashmir people would be registered in the digitalNPR data under the census 2021 within the 20-day exercise.The census 2021 wouldtake place in Uttarakhand and Himachal between October 1, 2020 and October 5,2020, said the operator, adding other states and Union Territories would becovered under the exercise between February 9, 2021 and February 28, 2021.

The population-based census would also be held in Delhibetween February 9, 2021 and February 28, 2021, she added.According to theoffice of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, the census2021 will be done on different survey grounds such as NPR, Household, HouseListing and Linguistic, and that all will be done through a mobile-based App'Census 2021-NPR', which can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

An officer linked to Registrar General and CensusCommissioner of India told IANS that the Census 2021-NPR App would be of 1.6version and it is not for common people's use. "The App can only be usedby the government enumerators who will be employed in taking census of thepopulation."Explaining about the functioning of the app, the officer saidthe enumerators would be deployed on block levels and they would function undera supervisor. "There would be around six enumerators under eachsupervisor."

Each enumerator will have an android mobile phone with 4.5version as it is mandatory to have a compatible handset while doing the digitalNPR under the census 2021 this time, he said.

Noting that the digital move will help in checking wastageof paper and save time being spent on the census.The Registrar General andCensus Commissioner of India on Monday also said that the census 2021 data willbe released in much shorter span than 2011 census, when it took seven years fordata to be made public, only because of digital initiation being adopted in theexercise - the 16th Indian Census and 8th after Independence.At Rs 12,000crore, the census 2021 would be the most costly exercise done so far. It was in1865 when the first census was done during the British era.The 2021 censuswould conclude on March 1 midnight and a revisional round would be conductedbetween March 1, 2021 and March 5, 2021 to include them who left from theexercise, said the officer.

It will be mandatory for every usual resident of India toregister in the NPR. A usual resident is defined for the NPR purposes as aperson who has resided in a local area for the past six months or more or aperson who intends to reside in that area for the next six months or more.

The NPR, a register of usual residents, will be preparedunder the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizensand issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.A digital NPR will help insolving several issues, such as law and order and gender equality, said theofficer.