MORE than 1000 CalMac ferry sailings were cancelled last year because of mechanical problems with the boats, a 37 per cent annual rise, it has emerged.

The Scottish Greens, who obtained the figures, urged Transport Secretary Michael Matheson to order an urgent review of the state of the CalMac fleet.

Sourced through freedom of information, the data showed the vast majority of CalMac cancellations are due to bad weather .

But in 2018, mechanical breakdowns on board accounted for 780 of the 5,383 cancelled sailings.

In 2019, such problems accounted for 1,069 of 5,653 cancelled sailings.

However, less than 1 per cent of sailings were cancelled because of mechanical issues.

Green Highlands and Islands MSP John Finnie said the Scottish Government needed to review its vessel deployment and replacement plan.

He said: CalMac is entrusted to deliver lifeline services to remote and island communities up and down the west coast, so it is particularly concerning that the number of cancellations as a result of technical breakdowns has greatly increased in the last year.

Behind these cancellations are people unable to attend hospital appointments on the mainland, missed job interviews, small businesses unable to send and receive goods, and a loss of important tourism revenue.

We know that the bulk of the fleet needs renewed.

The average age of the CalMac fleet is 23 years, and the Scottish Governments own ferry plan for 2013 2022 highlighted that the majority of the vessels needed to be replaced.

This hasnt happened and were left with the situation where we have an ageing fleet which requires longer periods of maintenance and repair.

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport must urgently review the vessels deployment and replacement plan, ensuring community representatives and trade unions are at the heart of the procurement process, in order to deliver a fleet that communities served by the Clyde and Hebrides services deserve.

CalMac Director of Operations, Robert Morrison said 1069 sailings cancelled for technical reasons out of 168,000 last year meant a reliability rate of 99.35%, which compared very well to other forms of transport.

He said: To increase fleet resilience further we are investing more than 21m during this years dry dock maintenance programme, which includes a record 9m investment on vessel upgrades.

More than 90 major projects will be carried including new engines, replacement pitch control systems, new bow thrusters, replacement ramps and new generators on various vessels.

We have also introduced a new team to carry out in-service preventative maintenance to help avoid technical issues arising.

We are doing all we can to maintain a fully operational fleet while awaiting new vessels.

A Government spokesperson said: Transport Scotland is working with CalMac and [parent firm] CMAL to develop investment programmes for major vessels and small vessels with the aim of increased standardisation, taking account of the many and varied routes which CalMac serves.

The latest Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan is in final drafting and the intention is to publish this Spring.

While reliability currently stands at around 99.35%, we look forward to working with all interested parties to continue to deliver improvements, building on the substantial investment in routes, services, vessels, harbours and fares which have been made in these services in recent years and which have led to significant improvements in connectivity, capacity, affordability and passenger numbers.

The successor to the Ferries Plan 2013-2022 is being developed following the recent publication of the National Transport Strategy and the National Islands Plan and in conjunction with the Strategic Transport Projects Review which will also consider all potential viable future options in connecting our islands.

The Scottish Government continues to work with CalMac, communities and business interest to ensure lifeline ferry connections are maintained and enhanced.

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Breakdowns of CalMac ferries up by a third last year - HeraldScotland

Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa's heart bleeds for Maszlee Malik, who resigned as education minister with effect today.

According to him, the Bersatu MP became a victim despite not being the worst performer in the cabinet.

The veteran politician also claimed that the next education minister is someone with powerful connections.

Poor Maszlee... He became a victim despite not being the worst. But his place is to be taken by someone known as the crony to the 'most influential person' in the Pakatan Harapan government.

This person is known to play safe and put his interests first in politics. He was a former strongman of DSN (former premier Najib Abdul Razak), he tweeted this morning.

However, the Umno leader did not mention names.

Referring to the petition urging for Maszlee to be retained, Annuar, in a separate tweet, reiterated that the former was a victim of political manoeuvring.

At least Maszlee had principles in his struggle. His successor....? he added.

Puad Zarkashi: This is transition of power game

Similarly, Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi also claimed that Maszlee was made a scapegoat to bring a particular individual into the cabinet.

This is the transition of power game plan, he said.

Surely, (Maszlee's replacement) is not (PKR president) Anwar Ibrahim, he was quoted as saying by Umno Online.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he would determine Maszlee's replacement and an announcement would be made soon.

Among the names making the rounds is former Umno minister Mustapa Mohamed, who joined Bersatu last September.

Read more:
'Crony of most influential person in Harapan' to replace Maszlee, says Annuar - Malaysiakini

For someone who spent most of his political career cast as agitator-in-chief, Pierre Poilievre is getting a lot more ink than he deserves among those being talked about in Conservative party circles as a potential successor to Andrew Scheer.

Poilievre is not what the party needs right now another Harper-era sycophant from the partys Reform base whos dodgy on same-sex marriage and abortion.

But there was CTV weighing in last week with some holiday filler on how Poilievre is the most likely to succeed Scheer. That story was based on the opinion of one party insider, which should rate as a thin gruel on which to base a conclusion.

To be sure, Poilievre has been one of Parliaments most polarizing figures. Hes earned the nickname Skippy for his exuberance in defending his partys political interests, no matter what. To say its been comical at times would be an understatement. Poilievre is the kinda guy that gets blocked on Twitter. (Full disclosure). Funny thing is, however, is that Poilievre best represents the geist of the current party perhaps better than any of the other names being kicked around to replace Scheer.

And therein lies the dilemma for the Cons. After more than a decade of tacking right under Harper and arguably further right under Scheer the Conservative movement has hit a ceiling. Its appeal to populist sentiment has resulted in the partys base of power reverting to a facsimile of its former Reform wing.

Where to from here?

For some party insiders, the results of the recent federal election suggest a new leader with socially progressive views is enough to unseat Trudeau. For others, nothing short of a wholesale change in direction is needed for the party to win in Ontario and Quebec. So far, the unofficial race to replace Scheer is shaping up to be a bit of a dog-and-ponyshow.

Suffering from saviour complex

Rona Ambroses name has come up a lot in public opinion polls among Conservatives when theyre asked whod make the best replacement for Scheer. She has practically been anointed party saviour.

There is good reason to like Ambrose. She served ably as interim leader after Harper's departure. She looks good on paper. Shes also the choice of Ontario Conservatives. She scores well with seniors and affluent voters, which are among the party's core constituents.

But if its a break from the past that the party is looking for, then her record as a Harper loyalist poses a problem. It includes a number of questionable votes, including a motion to essentially reopen the abortion debate in 2012.

And who could forget her performance as environment minister, which was nothing short of a disaster? Besides making a mess of Canadas Kyoto obligations, Ambrose is also remembered as part of the climate-change-denying cabal in the Harper government that muzzled scientists. She also served as minister for western economic diversification under Harper, and we're all witnessing the fallout from that failed experimentasenergy sector workerslosing their jobs have nowhere to turn.

And if were being brutally honest, the fact Ambrose is a woman will hurt more than help her chances in a party whose views are mostly dominated these days by white guys angry at"globalists" and elites.

The old guard versus the new

Peter MacKay has been plotting to take over the party ever since he left politics to get married and raise a family. In fact, some would say MacKay has been plotting to reclaim the position he believes is rightfully his since he made that deal with the devil (Stephen Harper) in 2003and the Progressive Conservative party led by MacKay was absorbed by the Canadian Alliance to form the Conservative Party of Canada.

Harper went on to serve as PM. And MacKay would occupy a number of important portfolios in successive Conservative governments. But the relationship with Harper was one borne out of necessity rather than a mutual belief that the future of conservatism is populist.

The scion of the MacKay family has got the money to mount a challenge. And he has reportedly assembled a team that includes former PM Brian Mulroney. He seems to have learned a few tricks from Brian when it comes to orchestrating a coup. But MacKay is long past his best-before date. And if its excitement the Cons are looking for, then MacKays not it.

On the outside looking inward

Some pundits argue that what the Cons need is an outsider to break from the partys Harper-era past, but dont bet on it. Ekos Research polled Conservative Party members on their choices and the results were more of the same. Jason Kenney (who says hes not interested), Michelle Rempel (good luck with that) and, yes, Stephen Harper, were among those on the list. This is clearly not a party looking for radical change. The only outsider to speak of was Jordan Peterson, who scores well among the partys young male base.

But more recently, Jean Charest has been mentioned as a possibility. The former PC leader who left federal politics to become a Liberal premier of Quebec, has been exploring a return to the political ring. Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says its a done deal, and that Charests friends in Toronto are laying the groundwork.

Charest would be quite a leap. Given Western tensions over provincial cost-sharing agreements, there would seem to be little appetite in the current incarnation of the party for a leader from Quebec. And then theres the cloud of corruption hanging over Charest (related to construction contracts) that led to his departure from politics. He could always explain that away to say it was to save Quebec jobs, right?

Now you see em

One minute John Baird was being touted as a dark horse to watch, the next he was gone among the names of serious contenders.

The former Harper cabinet minister was enlisted by the partyto investigate how the Cons made a mess of the election. Then Scheer unexpectedly resigned and it seemed to many Conservatives that the choice to replace him was staring them right in the face in Baird. As Harpers designated attack dog in the House (and before that under Ontario premier Mike Harris), Baird certainly has the chops to go toe-to-toe with Trudeau.

But the reasons for Bairds departure from the party back in 2015 continue to be the subject of much speculation. Was it over the Harper governments opposition to recognition of same-sex marriage? Was he jumping ship because the writing was on the wall for the Cons under Harper in the lead-up to the 2015 election? Or did it have to do with his notorious lifestyle choices? There have been more revelations about that last bit lately.

Baird has the bona fides. The smart money would be on him, if his chances havent already been upended by rumblings about his past.

@nowtoronto

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The race to replace Andrew Scheer is turning into a dog-and-pony show - NOW Magazine

At the beginning of last year, Mike Pompeo ruled out a 2020 Senate run, saying he would serve as Donald Trumps secretary of state for as long as the president allows. But with impeachment entangling his boss, and Mitch McConnell working overtime to recruit him, the Pompeo rumor mill has continued to churn. In that uncertainty, which Pompeo himself has fed, several candidates have quietly begun to line up behind him, positioning themselves to replace him at State.

Three people whove spoken to the president directly about the matter told Washington Post that Trump has been tossing around names for Pompeos successor with lawmakers and officials. Two figures have emerged as leading contenders for Pompeos would-be replacement: national security adviser Robert OBrien and Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin. OBrien, who replaced John Bolton as national security adviser, reportedly charmed Trump as the State departments lead hostage negotiator, and has been rewarded with a growing portfolio. Hes also endeared himself to Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and senior adviser, and to Pompeo himself, perhaps making him a natural successor.

Mnuchin would be a less intuitive pick. Unlike Trump and Pompeo, the Treasury secretary has taken a less hawkish approach to China, putting him out of step with the rest of the administration on a key foreign policy front. Still, Mnuchin remains close to the president, as evidenced by his rare longevity in the Trump administration. In a White House characterized by infighting and high turnover, surviving in Trumps cabinet for three years makes him a competitive candidate by default.

Of course, their abilities to appease Trump notwithstanding, each comes with liabilities. Mnuchin was barely confirmed for his current job thanks to his lack of experience. His qualifications to serve as Americas top diplomat are even thinner, raising questions both about his ability to be confirmed and to fulfill his duties. OBrien is reportedly seen as one of the more competent officials in Trumps orbit, rooted in a traditional conservative foreign policy approach, but remains somewhat green behind the ears. I think the greatest challenge he will have is his relative lack of experience inside the U.S. government, and with the interagency process, Richard Fontaine, the chief executive of the nonpartisan Center for a New American Security, told the New York Times of OBrien in September, as he took over for Bolton.

Such concerns could open the door to other figures who have indicated interest in Pompeos job, including Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, Senators Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton, and deputy secretary of state Stephen Biegun, who would become acting secretary of state should Pompeo decide to launch a 2020 Senate campaign. He hasnt yet signaled that hell do so. But the barely concealed jockeying suggests McConnells overtures to Pompeo may actually be workingparticularly Republican leadership believes their Kansas senate seat is in danger. He loves Kansas, he loves the people of Kansas, Trump said last month, suggesting hed be open to Pompeo mounting a bid. If he thought there was a chance of losing that seat, I think he would do that and he would win in a landslide because they love him in Kansas.

More Great Stories from Vanity Fair

On the eve of impeachment vote, Giuliani called up New York Times to incriminate Trump Melania Trump believes Greta Thunberg had POTUS attack coming Inside Roger Ailess twisted game of mind control Why the White House belongs to Jared Kushner now Kamala Harris next act is destroying Stephen Miller From the Archive: Inside Jeffrey Wigands epic multibillion-dollar struggle

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Report: Trump Is Already Floating Replacement Secretary of State - Vanity Fair

Building the replacement facility for the relocation of a U.S. military base in Okinawa Prefecture is now expected to cost 930 billion, far exceeding its initial 350 billion estimate, and be delayed several years, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry has now estimated the landfill work will take nine years and three months, nearly twice as long as originally expected.

It will now take 12 years to complete the project of relocating the operations of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded residential area of Ginowan to the less populated coastal zone of Henoko.

That means the return of the land in the city of Ginowan is likely to be delayed until some point in the 2030s or later, compared with fiscal 2022 or later as set out under an agreement between Japan and the United States in 2013.

The new estimate was presented at a meeting of experts on Wednesday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Thursday that steadily carrying out the relocation work would lead to the earliest full return of Futenma and removal of danger.

The delay is expected to be met with strong local opposition.

This kind of public works project should be suspended immediately, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, a vocal opponent of the relocation plan, told reporters Thursday at the Okinawa Prefectural Governments headquarters in Naha. We have reiterated previously that the works at Henoko would take at least 13 years and cost 2 trillion or more.

According to the current plan, the construction for the replacement facility was supposed to take five years to finish and cost 350 billion. But additional work is necessary to reinforce the weak seafloor in an area where the landfill work is due to be carried out off the coast of Henoko in the city of Nago. After the construction is completed, more preparations such as moving and procuring equipment will be necessary before the relocated base can begin operations, according to the ministry.

The ministry began soil placement work off Henoko in December last year. However, it later found some of the ground in the area to be too soft.

The ministry now wants to install 71,000 support piles to bolster the weak ground. It plans to file an application to change its construction plan with the Okinawa Prefectural Government in the new year.

We will aim to move ahead with the (additional) work smoothly, Defense Minister Taro Kono told reporters Wednesday.

But Tamaki is unlikely to approve the change. Deputy Gov. Kiichiro Jahana told reporters Wednesday that this is a good opportunity for the central government to re-examine the base relocation plan.

The plan was delayed in 2015 when Takeshi Onaga, the governor of Okinawa at the time, revoked his predecessors permission for the landfill work. The decision led to court disputes between the central and Okinawa governments.

The project to move the Futenma base originated in an agreement reached between Tokyo and Washington in 1996. But local residents have long hoped for the base to be moved outside of the island prefecture, which is home to about 70 percent of the total area of land exclusively used by U.S. military forces in Japan.

Still, the central government has maintained that the current relocation plan is the only solution for removing the dangers posed by the Futenma base without undermining the deterrence provided by the Japan-U.S. security alliance.

Japan and the United States plan to reclaim about 160 hectares, including the sea area with soft ground, for the replacement facility and build two runways in a V configuration.

A prefectural referendum on the transfer plan was held in February, with more than 70 percent voting against it.

Tamaki said in an interview with Kyodo News in March that it was impossible to conduct such seafloor reinforcement work and he has no plan to approve the additional work.

Excerpt from:
Work on US base at Henoko in Okinawa to cost nearly triple initial estimate - The Japan Times

The director of fundraising for the federal Conservatives has taken over as acting executive director of the party as it continues to grapple with the fallout from the resignation of leader Andrew Scheer.

Jaime Girard is replacing Dustin Van Vugt, who left his job as executive director earlier this month over questions about party funds used for Scheers personal expenses.

Girard jumps into the new role at a crucial time for the party figuring out how to run the race to select Scheers replacement.

Scheer announced on Dec. 12 that he will step down as leader as soon as a new one is chosen, a move that came after weeks of intense criticism of the way the party fared in the fall election, despite the fact it increased its overall seat count and share of the popular vote.

Campaigns to oust Scheer reached a fever pitch in the days leading up to his announcement, including word circulating that his childrens private school tuition was paid for with party money details that surprised some members of the partys main fundraising arm, the Conservative Fund.

Girard has spent more than a decade serving as director of fundraising for the Conservative party, a position that would have placed her into close contact with the Funds board.

The board includes former prime minister Stephen Harper, Conservative Sen. Linda Frum, and, as the current director, retired Conservative senator Irving Gerstein. Gerstein is expected to step back from his role running the board next year.

While the Fund sets the partys budget, some members were not fully aware of the details of Scheers spending. The deal to cover tuition costs for Scheers children was struck between him and Van Vugt, who had called it standard practice.

All proper procedures were followed and signed off on by the appropriate people, he said in a statement the same day Scheer stepped down.

But some members of the Fund disagreed. Van Vugt subsequently left the job.

Replacing him with Girard was one of a series of decisions adopted by the partys national council on Friday as they seek to sort out the mess created by Scheer and Van Vugts departure.

Another: punting Aprils planned policy convention to November in order to free up more room to organize the leadership race.

The committee who will be in charge of that is expected to be named in the coming days. Theyll in turn have to sort out when and where the vote will take place, and the rules for it, including the entry fee and number of signatures required to run.

Though several people including former Quebec premier Jean Charest and former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose have signalled an interest in running for the leadership, all are waiting for clarity on the rules and deadlines before they commit. Other potential contenders include current Conservative MPs and former cabinet ministers Pierre Poilievre, Erin OToole and Michael Chong, as well as former MPs and cabinet ministers Peter MacKay and James Moore.

Meanwhile, there is ongoing debate about the scope of Scheers expense accounts.

Scheers office has repeatedly said they have nothing to add when asked for clarification about how Scheer used the money, the decision to fire Van Vugt, or whether hell support a line-by-line review of his expenses.

Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press

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Conservative partys fundraising boss takes over temporary helm of party - Coast Mountain News

A forum visitor is silhoutetted in front of a projected logo before a Conservative party leadership candidate forum at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino in Calgary, Alta. on Wednesday March 1, 2017.Jim Wells / Jim Wells/Postmedia

OTTAWA The director of fundraising for the federal Conservatives has taken over as acting executive director of the party as it continues to grapple with the fallout from the resignation of leader Andrew Scheer.

Jaime Girard is replacing Dustin Van Vugt, who left his job as executive director earlier this month over questions about party funds used for Scheers personal expenses.

Girard jumps into the new role at a crucial time for the party figuring out how to run the race to select Scheers replacement.

Scheer announced on Dec. 12 that he will step down as leader as soon as a new one is chosen, a move that came after weeks of intense criticism of the way the party fared in the fall election, despite the fact it increased its overall seat count and share of the popular vote.

Campaigns to oust Scheer reached a fever pitch in the days leading up to his announcement, including word circulating that his childrens private school tuition was paid for with party money details that surprised some members of the partys main fundraising arm, the Conservative Fund.

Girard has spent more than a decade serving as director of fundraising for the Conservative Party, a position that would have placed her into close contact with the Funds board.

The board includes former prime minister Stephen Harper, Conservative Sen. Linda Frum, and, as the current director, retired Conservative senator Irving Gerstein. Gerstein is expected to step back from his role running the board next year.

While the Fund sets the partys budget, some members were not fully aware of the details of Scheers spending. The deal to cover tuition costs for Scheers children was struck between him and Van Vugt, who had called it standard practice.

All proper procedures were followed and signed off on by the appropriate people, he said in a statement the same day Scheer stepped down.

But some members of the Fund disagreed. Van Vugt subsequently left the job.

Replacing him with Girard was one of a series of decisions adopted by the partys national council on Friday as they seek to sort out the mess created by Scheer and Van Vugts departure.

Another: punting Aprils planned policy convention to November in order to free up more room to organize the leadership race.

The committee who will be in charge of that is expected to be named in the coming days. Theyll in turn have to sort out when and where the vote will take place, and the rules for it, including the entry fee and number of signatures required to run.

Though several people including former Quebec premier Jean Charest and former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose have signalled an interest in running for the leadership, all are waiting for clarity on the rules and deadlines before they commit. Other potential contenders include current Conservative MPs and former cabinet ministers Pierre Poilievre, Erin OToole and Michael Chong, as well as former MPs and cabinet ministers Peter MacKay and James Moore.

Meanwhile, there is ongoing debate about the scope of Scheers expense accounts.

Scheers office has repeatedly said they have nothing to add when asked for clarification about how Scheer used the money, the decision to fire Van Vugt, or whether hell support a line-by-line review of his expenses.

See more here:
Fundraising boss takes over temporary helm of Conservative party - Saskatoon StarPhoenix

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More News28 Dec 2019 | 5:01 PM

Kannur, Dec 28 (UNI) Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's inaugural speech, at the 80th Session of Indian History Congress (IHC) in Kannur University Thavakkara campus here on Saturday, was disrupted following protest by delegates and Research students.

Puducherry, Dec 28 (UNI) Alleging that Muthialpet Inspector of Police Senthil Kumar has prevented the DMDK workers from joining the rally organized by the BJP in support of the CAA here on Friday, the Puducherry unit of the party on Saturday urged the police department to initiate action against him.

Salem, Dec 28 (UNI) Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today said Tamil Nadu emerging on top in the National Good Governance Index (GGI) among the 'Big States' was a proud moment for the State.

Hubballi, Dec 28 (UNI) On the background of countrywide anti-CAA protests, the BJP has decided to run a pro-CAA awareness campaign across the state from January 1 to 15 which will include door-to-door campaigning to contact 30 lakh households, social media campaign, and rallies in all district centres.

Salem, Dec 28 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today said the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the opposition parties was due to political vendetta and to confuse the people.

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AP Cabinet nod for providing reservation in Panchayat Election for SCs, STs - United News of India

Union Cabinet on Tuesday announced that it has allocated around Rs 3,500 crores for updating National Population Register (NPR). The process shall commence from April next year and will be completed by September.

NPR was first done in 2010 and was later updated in 2015 when it was linked with the Aadhar. But since the announcement of the NPR update has come in the middle of a raging controversy on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), there is widespread confusion between the two. Many have also confused the National Population Register with Census, which is also due.

So what is National Population Register and how is it different from NRC or Census? Let's have a look:

WHAT IS NPR

The NPR is a register of the usual residents of the country. It contains information collected at the local (village/sub-town), subdistrict, district, state and national level under provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.

WHO IS USUAL RESIDENT OF INDIA

A usual resident is defined, for the purposes of the NPR, as a person who has resided in a local area for the past six months or more, or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next six months.

The law compulsorily seeks to register every citizen of India and issue a national identity card.

WHO WILL CONDUCT NPR

The process of updating NPR will be carried out under the aegis of the Registrar General and ex-Officio Census Commissioner, India.

WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE COLLECTED UNDER NPR

The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The database would contain demographic particulars such as:

WHAT DOCUMENTS DO YOU NEED TO PRODUCE FOR NPR

During the NPR, a respondent will not require to produce any document. As per a statement was given by Home Minister Amit Shah to news agency ANI, NPR information will be self-attested, that is, whatever information is provided by the respondent will be deemed correct and no documents or biometric would be required.

WHEN AND WHERE NPR WILL BE CONDUCTED

The process of collecting information for NPR will start in April 2020 and will be completed by September. NPR will be conducted across India, except Assam as the state has already gone through the National Register of Citizens. Gazette notification for the forthcoming NPR has been published by the central government in August.

HOW IS NPR DIFFERENT THAN CENSUS

While the process of NPR and Census will begin simultaneously, the two databases are not same.

The decennial census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of the people of India.

While NPR only contains demographic information, more details are required for census like information on demography, economic activity, literacy and education, and housing and household amenities besides others.

The census is the basis for reviewing the country's progress in the past decade, monitoring the ongoing schemes of the government and plan for the future.

A census official collects details from village residents during Census 2011. REUTERS

The census provides detailed and authentic information on demography, economic activity, literacy and education, housing and household amenities, urbanisation, fertility and mortality, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, language, religion, migration, disability besides others.

The enumerators also collect data related to cultivators and agricultural labourers, their sex, occupational classification of workers in the non-households industry, trade, business, profession or service by class of worker and sex.

There will be a detailed survey on gender and literacy rate, a number of towns, slum households and their population.

Information is also collected on sources of potable water, energy, irrigation, method of farming, whether a house is a concrete, thatched or others.

Also read | What is NRC: All you need to know about National Register of Citizens

The census, 2021 will be done in two phases. In the first phase, the work of house-listing or housing census will be conducted from April to September 2020. In the second phase, the enumeration of the population will be done from February 9 to February 28, 2021, with reference moment as 00:00 hours of March 1, 2021.

For snow-bound areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be October 1, 2020.

With a history of more than 130 years, this reliable, time tested exercise has been bringing out a veritable wealth of statistics every 10 years, beginning from 1872 when the first census was conducted in India non-synchronously in different parts.

HOW IS NPR DIFFERENT THAN NRC

National Population Register is a database of people living in India, citizens or not, but National Resgiter of Citizens is a database of Indian citizens. The NRC process demands proof of citizenship from the respondents. Those who found in wnat of the proof may face deportation or detention in long run. But in NPR, there is no need to provide any document.

WILL ANYONE LOSE CITIZENSHIP BECAUSE OF NPR

"It is possible that some names are missed in the NPR, still their citizenship will not be revoked because this is not the process of NRC. The NRC is a different process. I want to make it clear that nobody will lose citizenship because of NPR," Amit Shah said.

The home minister's statement came amid controversy that NPR was the first step towards NRC. Several opposition leaders requested CMs to boycott the NPR process to avoid NRC. But the home minister has claimed that the two are not linked in any way.

The home ministry officials have also said that there is no plan to use data collected during NPR to form the basis of NRC.

WHAT IS THE USE OF NPR

The question remains that if the government has Census than why does it need NPR.

The officials say that NPR data helps identify the demographics of actual residents who will be direct beneficiaries of any schemes launched in the area.

For example, a majority of permanent residents of an industrial town in Gujarat may be Gujarati speaking, but the majority of current residents may consist of Hindu speaking people from various parts of the country. The NPR data will help government design and adapt schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Jandhan Yojna, or medium of instruction in schools as per the current demographics, thus making the schemes more effective.

(With inputs from agencies)

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What is NPR: All you need to know about National Population Register - India Today