<h1>Decadal census delay undermines eligibility and targeting for social entitlements and caste-based reservations, withholding vital statistics.</h1> Delay in conducting the decadal Census since 2021, coupled with non-release of birth and death reports and lack of budgetary allocations, is impairing eligibility determination and targeting for central social programmes, affecting reservation frameworks and coverage under the National Food Security Act and risking omission of a Socio Economic Caste Census.