Many people must work together to gather census information in a huge nation like India. Why go to all the trouble?
Census numbers can help leaders care for people well. The count helps them decide how to use a country’s money. Questions a census may help answer:
- How many schools should each area have? Hospitals?
- How many people in each place need financial help from the government?
- Has a town or city grown or shrunk? How many elected officials should represent each? If there are more people living in a certain state than there were in 2011, those people may need more representatives in government.
- Are people in India getting enough help from the government? What about people in lower castes?
Census info can also help business owners decide where and how to sell products or services. And it can help researchers learn about places and needs.
Known by God
Can you count to one billion? (That’s 1,000,000,000.)
Maybe you could. But you probably don’t have time. Let’s say it takes you one minute to count to 100—and then longer as the number names get bigger. Given that measure, counting to one billion might take more than 25 years—if you didn’t take any breaks to eat, sleep, or do anything else.
But God keeps track of every single person in India. And on the planet. And He keeps track of every hair on every single head! And He knows every single person who lived in the past, and every person who will be born in the future.
Every person in India has value to Him, no matter his or her caste. He made them all!
For God shows no partiality. — Romans 2:11
