Postponing India’s census is terrible for the country
But it may suit Narendra Modi just fine
Three years ago India’s government was scheduled to pose its citizens a long list of basic but important questions. How many people live in your house? What is it made of? Do you have a toilet? A car? An internet connection? The answers would refresh data from the country’s previous census in 2011, which, given India’s rapid development, were wildly out of date. Because of India’s covid-19 lockdown, however, the questions were never asked.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “An area of darkness”
From the January 7th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Asia
The scary new map of the South China Sea
Fresh fights over reefs and shoals test America’s credibility
Could Japan and South Korea finally become friends?
Younger generations are less concerned with their countries shared history
Taiwan is trying to learn from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine
Could it repel a potential Chinese invasion?
Myanmar’s military junta is battered by Chinese-backed forces
The Brotherhood Alliance continues its string of shock victories
Why Indonesia’s horror films are booming
Directors such as Joko Anwar are taking old ghost stories to new heights
Welcome to India, where the streets have four names
Constantly renaming cities, roads and stations is pointless and counterproductive