Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has said that modern technology will be employed to conduct the next population census. According to him, the government has been “assured” by the concerned authorities that population census will be completed in the next two years. The question is: will the use of technology help avert the birth of a new controversy? The government or authorities concerned need to answer why counting people can be controversial. The fact that the fair determination of the size of population has important implications for economic planning and judicious distribution of resources cannot be over-emphasized. The government must be able to effectively defend the accuracy of the figures that are produced through the upcoming population census. Hence the need for a pious approach to the population census in the country.

Karim Bughio (Hyderabad)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021