Census and Censibility

India started counting to 1.4B on Wednesday.

The South Asian nation kicked off the first phase of its first census in 15 years. The largest headcount in the world is expected to take one year and need the help of 3M officials to complete. It’s also India’s first digital census, giving residents the option to provide deets via mobile app. 

Census-takers will play 33 questions in phase one, covering housing, amenities, and household assets (think: car, motorbike, cellphone). Phase two, starting for most in February 2027, will count the population and, for the first time since 1931, the number of castes in the country (current estimates: ~3,000). 

Critics argue that tallying the ancient Hindu-based social hierarchy (learn more here) goes against laws prohibiting caste discrimination. Advocates say the info will improve the country’s welfare system.

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Counting 1.4B people is a massive undertaking, but no amount of data we collect can compare with what God already knows: the number of stars in the sky, grains of sand on every beach, and hairs on each of our heads. He knows all these details, and He cares about them deeply. 

“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” 
Luke 12:6-7 (CSB) (read full passage)