Committee urges MoHUA to declare Census towns as transitional areas

Who it concerns: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), State Governments, and the Registrar General of India; affects residents of Census towns and peri-urban areas.

What the committee found

• Committee recommended MoHUA declare Census towns as 'transitional areas' to ensure they receive policy focus, as they are currently not governed by Urban Local Bodies nor covered under MoHUA schemes.
• Committee recommended MoHUA engage with states to convert eligible Census towns to statutory towns after Census 2027 data release, consult on national guidelines for notification, and prescribe a framework for phased transition with a maximum time limit.
• Committee recommended MoHUA devise a time-bound national framework for the planned development of Census towns and peri-urban areas, including transitional administrative arrangements and financial assistance.
• Committee recommended MoHUA and the Registrar General examine the feasibility of periodic inter-censal surveys to capture changes between the ten-year Census intervals.
• Committee recommended a study to develop a gender-inclusive methodology and a gender audit of Census definitions, noting that the current criterion of 75% male main workers in non-agricultural work is male-centric and excludes women's informal work.

Also in the document

• Of 2,576 new Census towns identified in 2011, only 175 were notified as statutory towns and 367 were merged with existing ones.
• In 2011, statutory towns accounted for 84% of the urban population, while Census towns accounted for 15%.
• The Committee noted that the female labour force participation rate was around 35% as of August 2026.