Source: DD News
Context: The Government of India has launched the Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) 2025, marking the country’s first fully digital and geo-referenced fisheries census, powered by VYAS mobile applications developed by ICAR–CMFRI.
About Marine Fisheries Census 2025:
What it is?
- The Marine Fisheries Census 2025 is a nationwide digital enumeration of India’s marine fishing communities, designed to gather socio-economic and infrastructural data for informed policy planning.
Conducted by: The census is fully funded by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, and implemented by the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) with operational support from the Fishery Survey of India (FSI).
Aim: To establish a real-time, evidence-based database on marine fisher households, infrastructure, and socio-economic indicators to strengthen sustainable fisheries management and welfare delivery.
Key Features:
- Fully Digital Process: First-ever paperless, geo-referenced enumeration replacing traditional manual surveys.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Targets 1.2 million fisher households in 5,000 marine fishing villages across 13 coastal States and UTs.
- Socio-Economic Insights: Captures data on income, debt, insurance, and welfare scheme coverage including PMMSY and PM-MKSSY.
- Drone-Based Support: Incorporates aerial enumeration of fishing crafts using drones for accuracy and transparency.
About VYAS Apps Suite:
What it is?
- The VYAS (Vessel and Yield Assessment System) app ecosystem is a set of digital tools enabling end-to-end data collection, validation, and monitoring of the Marine Fisheries Census 2025.
Developed by: The apps were created by the ICAR–CMFRI as part of the digital modernisation of India’s marine fisheries enumeration process.
Aim: To ensure real-time, error-free, and transparent census operations, improving data quality and coordination among field teams, supervisors, and policymakers.
Key Features:
- Three Dedicated Apps:
- VYAS–NAV: For validation of fishing villages and harbours.
- VYAS–BHARAT: For household and infrastructure enumeration.
- VYAS–SUTRA: For real-time supervision and monitoring via dashboards.
- Geo-Referenced Data: Enables GPS-tagged entries for precise spatial mapping.
- Multilingual Interface: Supports multiple Indian languages for inclusive participation.
- Real-Time Dashboards: Provides live progress tracking and analytics for administrators.
- Enhanced Transparency: Ensures data accuracy and accountability through digital verification and cloud storage.
