Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2021

 What is the Total Fertility Rate (TFR)?

• It is a demographic metric that represents the average number of children a woman is expected to bear over her reproductive lifetime, typically ages 15 to 49, assuming current age-specific fertility rates remain constant.
• It is a synthetic measure, not reflecting any individual woman’s fertility but providing a snapshot of a population’s reproductive behavior at a given time.

Registrar-General of India (RGI):

 The Registrar-General of India (RGI) is a statutory authority under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, responsible for coordinating and overseeing the registration of vital statistics (births, deaths, and marriages) and conducting the decennial Census. Established under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, the RGI ensures uniformity in civil registration systems across states and provides critical demographic data for policy planning and governance.

Key Functions:

Civil Registration System (CRS): The RGI supervises the nationwide registration of births and deaths, ensuring accurate records for legal, administrative, and statistical purposes. It issues guidelines to state-level Chief Registrars and supports digital platforms like the Unified Civil Registration System for real-time data collection. :

Census Operations: The RGI, also designated as the Census Commissioner, conducts India’s Census every 10 years, collecting comprehensive demographic, social, and economic data. The last Census was in 2011, with the 2021 Census delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pending as of May 2025.

Sample Registration System (SRS): The RGI oversees the SRS, India’s largest demographic survey, providing annual estimates of fertility (e.g., Total Fertility Rate) and mortality indicators. The SRS 2021 report, released on May 7, 2025, noted a stable TFR of 2.0 and covered 84 lakh people across 8,842 sample units.

National Population Register (NPR): The RGI manages the NPR, a database of residents’ demographic and biometric details, updated during Census operations. The NPR is linked to initiatives like Aadhaar and is controversial due to privacy concerns.

Data Dissemination: The RGI compiles and publishes demographic reports, such as SRS bulletins, Census reports, and vital statistics, aiding policymakers in areas like healthcare, education, and economic planning.

Organizational Structure: The RGI heads the Office of the Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India, based in New Delhi. The office collaborates with state Directorates of Census Operations and Chief Registrars. The RGI is typically a senior IAS officer, with the current Registrar-General (as of 2025) overseeing critical updates to CRS and NPR systems.

Historical Context: The RGI’s role traces back to colonial-era vital statistics collection, formalized post-independence with the 1969 Act. The Census, conducted since 1872, became a cornerstone of the RGI’s mandate, with the 2011 Census being the 15th in the series. The SRS, initiated in the 1970s, complements the Census by providing interim data.