Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday urged the Modi government to conduct the already delayed decadal census without any further hold-ups, underscoring that its unexplained postponing has resulted in around 14 crore eligible Indians being deprived of their rightful benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Making her maiden intervention in the Rajya Sabha, Sonia used the opportunity to take ownership of the NFSA — pointing out that it was introduced by the UPA government in September 2013 and recalling how it played “a crucial role in protecting millions of vulnerable households from starvation, particularly during the Covid-19 crisis”.

Further, she asserted that the NFSA provided the basis for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana — a food security programme launched during the pandemic but subsequently extended till 2028. It covers about 80 crore beneficiaries.

“Under the NFSA, 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population are entitled to receive subsidised food grains. However, the quota for the beneficiaries is still determined based on the 2011 census, which is now well over a decade old,” Sonia said, adding that the census should have been conducted in 2021.

“There is still no clarity on when the census will be conducted. Budget allocations reveal that the updated census is unlikely to be conducted this year as well,” Sonia underlined. This fiscal closes in March-end and the budget for 2025-26 unveiled earlier this month allocated only ₹574.80 crore for the Census, Surveys and Statistics/Registrar General of India, marking a significant reduction from the ₹3,768 crore set aside for the exercise in the 2021-22 budget.

Stating that around 14 crore eligible Indians are being deprived of their rightful benefits under the NFSA in the absence of updated census data, Sonia said: “It is imperative that the government prioritises the completion of the census as soon as possible and ensures that all deserving individuals receive the benefits guaranteed to them under the NFSA. Food security isnot a privilege, it is afundamental right.”