Digital Solution Pilot Test Statistical Census NADRA Pakistan 2022

The National Data and Registration Authority (NADRA) has started a pilot test of a digital solution that will be used for the first time in the country for the digital census. According to reports, the pilot test is ongoing in 429 census blocks of 83 tehsils (townships or local unit administration) of all four provinces including Azad Kashmir, and initial testing was also done earlier. This development was revealed in the Census Monitoring Committee meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.

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The meeting was attended by representatives of the Pakistan Statistical Institute, Ministry of Finance, NADRA, Council of Common Interests, National Telecom Corporation, and all provinces including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik told the meeting that the digital solution has been developed in just three weeks using modern methodology. He further said that during the ongoing pilot phase, 59 thousand 569 structures, 58 thousand 882 households, and 74 thousand 536 people have been counted.

NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik briefed the committee that the solution includes installation of Android-based house listing and statistical application along with Global Positioning System and Geographical Information System, data center and call center services, and technical support centers at the tehsil level. Also includes setting up an online web portal for the public.

NADRA Chairman added that the system will ensure accuracy, accountability, and transparency in the entire process. Android-based digital applications have online and offline support without a data synchronization feature. This system will support the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in all three phases of the census i.e. pre-census phase, census phase, and post-census phase.

NADRA was expanding data center services for a central repository of census data with digital imagery at the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. In addition, a user-friendly web portal has been developed, so that people can register in it in case of their unavailability during the census exercise. Earlier in January, the Council of Common Interests had approved the conduct of the seventh census and the formation of a monitoring committee for the census. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics then signed an agreement with NADRA in June to develop a comprehensive digital solution for conducting the census.