(a) What is population census?
(b) Describe the problems faced in conducting a population census in your country.
Explanation
(a) A population census refers to the official head count of the people in a country.
(b) The problems faced are:
(i) Finance: There is shortage of funds to pay enumerators, procure stationery, buy vehicles and any other necessary materials.
(ii) Illiteracy and Ignorance: The Illiterates do not understand the importance of the census. They impute the wrong reasons to the census and so show no Interest.
(iii) Shortage of trained and experienced officials: There are not enough enumerators, demographers and statisticians to conduct the census and analyse results.
(iv) inaccessibility of remote areas: Some areas are remote and enumerators find it difficult to reach such areas
(v) Inadequate means of transportation. There are not enough vehicles to take enumerators and other staff around
(vi) improper planning: Some streets are not named and some houses are not properly numbered and so it is difficult for enumerators to locate such houses.
(vii) Frequent movement of people: Because of wars or other upheavals people may be constantly on the move and it will be difficult to count them.
(viii) Religious traditional belief: For instance, women in purdah (Muslims) may not be available for counting.
(ix) Political manipulation of the census process by politicians.
(x) Fraud by enumerators who do not go to the field but give figures.