Census of India 1931 Volume II- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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Census of the Settlement. —The organisation for the Census of the settlement was not found to be a difficult problem owing to the comparatively small population. Except in one or two stray cases there was generally a sense of ready co-operation and interest especially by the local-born population who did most of the enumeration. The local Government had however, issued a notification to the effect that Government servants, if required, should render all possible assistance in taking of the Census.

Staff and Organisation.—An officer with a separate office establishment, consisting of a clerk on Bs. 75 per mensem and 4 sorters, was appointed. The previous censuses were taken by the ordinary office staff of the settlement offices. In 1911 and 1921 the Deputy Commissioner wrote the Census Report and in 1901 the Chief Commissioner wrote the report. The brevity of the 1921 Census Report showed that it was desirable to appoint an officer on special duty.

The Census Operations of the settlement of Port Blair were carried out by responsible Gazetted officers of the settlement to whom general instructions were given by the Superintendent of Census Operations. The three Tahsil-dare were appointed as Charge Superintendents. Personal instructions were given by them to the Supervisors and Enumerators appointed for the Census work who were mostly clerks of the settlement offices. All the enumerators and supervisors rendered much assistance during the Census without claiming any remuneration or allowance.

The convict population who were in convict stations were enumerated under the supervision of the jailors of the respective stations, and those in service and in villages were enumerated by the enumerators of the respective blocks. It was however found that all convicts did not record themselves as convicts, an omission which was brought to light when comparing the total of persons returned as convicts with the actual number of convicts on the roll in the Deputy Commissioner's office. All the forest camps and forest boats under the Divisional Forest Officer, South Andaman, were enumerated under the supervision of the Divisional Forest Officer, South Andaman. The enumeration of the whole of North Andaman which is a forest settlement was carried out under the supervision of the Divisional Forest Officer, North Andaman. All the ships crews and fishing boats and persons living on boats were enumerated by the Port Officer. Patients in different hospitals were enumerated under the supervision of the sub-assistant surgeons of the respective hospitals.

The preliminary Census was carried out from 6th February 1931 to 9th February 1931. As a large number of office clerks were employed on Census work the local Government at the request of the Superintendent of Census Operations granted two days holidays to all offices.

Mr. N. M. Ananthapadmanabhan, Census Clerk, was appointed as touring officer and he toured throughout the settlement during preliminary and final enumerations inspecting and instructing the enumerators and supervisors. The preliminary and final enumerations were creditably completed entirely under his supervision in Port Blair in the absence of the Superintendent of Census Operations who had gone to the Nicobars for the enumeration there.