Contrary to the community’s fears, the forthcoming census will "probably be tabulated in the same way as in the previous years,” noted Kersi Deboo, vice chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, speaking to Parsiana on June 5, 2023. "There never was a separate category for Zoroastrianism but community members must insist that their religion is manually recorded by the census taker,” he cautioned.
Director of Parzor Foundation, Dr Shernaz Cama stated, "As Parsis are under a predetermined physical number of persons they come under the category ‘Other’… However, there is always a footnote regarding ‘Other’ which is to be filled in with the specific religion when the census people come to visit… The main census and its broad scope is normally followed by internal surveys and studies which give the exact figures and details of each religious group… These are what have been used by demographers who studied the Parsi Zoroastrians since the census of India began. They are designated Special Studies.”
Parsiana had contacted Deboo and Cama for clarifications when newspaper reports stated, "Only six religion options make it to the next census form… Despite demands from several communities to be counted as a separate religion, the next census will only count Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain as distinct religious options.”
Deboo told Parsiana he met with the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) on May 31, and they have agreed that he (Deboo) will write letters to authorities requesting them to include Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian as a separate column for enumeration of population in the census of 2023. BPP will "also write letters to authorities, including the Prime Minister, to include Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian as a separate column for census 2023.”
The 2011 census put the total all-India Parsi population figure at 57,264. Maharashtra and Gujarat comprised 54,581 or 95% of the total number. The remaining 2,683, or five percent, were scattered over the rest of the country (see "95% Parsis in western India,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, September 21, 2016).
Held every 10 years, in 2021 the census was postponed on account of the coronavirus pandemic and other reasons.