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.