With the popularity of Personal Computers and Internet in India and also across the world, the mode of dissemination of statistical data everywhere is undergoing major change. From printed voluminous census reports the modes of data dissemination have now changed to more user friendly floppy diskette or CD-ROM. Facilities also exist in many countries for on-line statistical data network dedicated to registered users. Most important mode of data dissemination today is however the use of Internet. Using the world wide web Census, or for that matter any large volume statistical data, are being made available instantly across the globe in user friendly formats.  

     In tune with the world trend the Census Organization in India is contemplating using Internet as the most important medium of disseminating 2001 Census results. Already all the Provisional Results of 2001 Census declared so far have been made available free of cost at the Census of India website. More changes are contemplated to make available the census data to government planners, administration, NGOs, research scholars, universities, schools and libraries, business and industrial houses to instantly access the Census data. A data dissemination strategy is being formulated to address the issue in its totality, where data users will be able to select the table in the format it is published by the Census or even request for customized tables of choice. Another area where considerable resource mobilization being attempted is in the field of Internet GIS. Digital database of maps is proposed to be made available at the Census website along with Census data for the data users to select and view thematic maps on different subjects. This would be particularly useful to data users in incorporating maps in their reports and presentations using Census data.  

Data Highlights 

Slum Data 

     An attempt has been made for the first time during the Census of India, 2001 to collect detailed data about slum areas of the country particularly in cities/towns having 50,000 population or more based on 1991 census. All the inhabitants of the areas, which have been notified as slums by the state governments under any legal provisions or even recognized by them, have been accordingly considered as slum population for this purpose.    

     Besides areas in cities/towns, which satisfy the usual criteria for declaring an area as slum have also been included. For the purpose of Census of India, 2001, the slum areas broadly constitute of :-

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     The Directorate of Census Operations in consultation with the State Government/Local Authorities were asked to identify slum areas in municipal towns having population of 50,000 or more as per 1991 census. Therefore, the estimates of slum population given below primarily are confined to cities and towns having more than 50,000 population at the 1991 Census.  

     Though the criteria adopted for formation of slum EBs was confined to municipal towns having 50,000 population, however, in a few stray cases even the non municipal towns were found to have large number of slum areas, necessitating formation of slum EBs by the local authorities. For instance in National Capital Region of Delhi, eleven Census towns and in Uttar Pradesh one Census town have reported slum population. In addition to these, six towns, one in Bihar, two in Madhya Pradesh, two in Gujarat and one in Maharashtra, could qualify the population criteria of 50,000 after adding population of outgrowths as returned for Census of India, 1991. In case of Shillong, slum areas were notified in the entire urban agglomeration as such slum population has been reported from the Shillong urban agglomeration. Slum population has been reported from 26 States/Union territories. Nine States/Union territories, namely, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep have not reported any slum population in their Class I & II cities/towns. 

     Census of India 2001 have released data on the number and population of cities/towns reporting slum, total slum population and slum population in 0-6 age group and literate slum population by sex - India & State/Union territory. Similarly data on population, slum population, and slum population in 0-6 age group and literate slum population by sex in million plus cities. 

     Some important features of Slum data released as per the provisional results of Census of India 2001 include: 

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     The list of States/Union territories for which the printed publications on Paper 1 of 2001 : Provisional Population Totals have been brought out were indicated in the eCENSUSIndia Issue No. 2 of 2001. See List 

     Provisional Results on Rural Urban Distribution of Population for each States/Union territories have been released at district and tahsil/taluka level. Whereas the District level data are available on the Internet at the Census of India website, the Tahsil/taluka level data are available only in printed publications.