The number of questions in the new census has been reduced to 33 from 35 in 2011 and new ones on the growing role of digital access in service delivery have been introduced while retaining the ones probing core housing indicators.
The most visible change lies in the treatment of assets and connectivity. The 2011 schedule recorded ownership of radios, televisions, computers, telephones and vehicles.
In 2027, these have been updated and expanded to include access to the internet, and smartphones, while also collecting a mobile number for census-related communication.
At the same time, question on whether households are availing banking services has been removed from the 2027 census.
The 2011 houselisting schedule was more granular in its demographic detailing at the household stage. It separately recorded the number of males and females normally residing in a household.
These three questions have been condensed into a single question in the 2027 schedule, signalling a clearer separation between houselisting and population enumeration. Detailed demographic profiling is now left to the later phase of the census.
In a prior notification, the ministry states that the first phase of the census, known as the HLO, will precede the population count and focus on housing conditions and amenities, not individuals.
The 2027 questionnaire also consolidates and reorders several variables. Identification details such as line number and building number have been streamlined.
While the 2011 census asked whether a kitchen was available and separately recorded cooking fuel, the 2027 schedule combines kitchen availability with LPG/PNG access.
Another addition in the 2027 questionnaire is the question on the main cereal consumed by the household, which did not feature in the 2011 houselisting schedule.
Nevertheless, core housing indicators show substantial overlap between the two censuses.
Questions on the physical characteristics of houses have remained central to both exercises. Questions on ownership status, number of rooms, access to drinking water, availability and type of latrine, waste water outlets, bathing facilities, lighting source and main cooking fuel appear in both schedules. This underscores their importance in tracking housing quality and infrastructure.
The house listing and housing census will be carried out between April 1 and September 30, 2026, across all states and Union Territories. It would be prior to the second phase of Population Enumeration (PE), scheduled for February 2027.
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