Census

India's first digital census: How to do self-enumeration? A step-by-step guide

India’s Census 2027 introduces self-enumeration for the first time. Here’s a clear, step-by-step guide, key dates, and what it means for you.

Census 2027 in Telangana fully digital, first phase from May 11 to June 9

Director of Census Operations in Telangana, Bharati Hollikeri, on Thursday said Census 2027 would be held in digital mode in contrast to the paper-based exercise conducted until 2011. The first phase of the exercise, involving house listing and housing census, would be conducted from May 11 to June 9, while the second phase would be taken up in February 2027, she said. As many as 88,000 personnel, including enumerators and supervisors, would be involved in the census in Telangana, though about 93,000 to 94,000 employees are being trained for the mammoth exercise. "It has a lot of uniqueness when compared to the previous censuses. When you talk about technology adoption, for the first time, we are going to enumerate in digital mode. Until the 2011 census, enumeration was paper-based," she told PTI here. She said various digital tools have now been developed, including the Census Management Monitoring System (CMMS), Self-Enumeration Portal and HLO app, which enumerators will use to .

Census 2027: Step-by-step guide to register for self-enumeration process

India begins its first digital Census with a new self-enumeration option. Here is a detailed guide on how to register for the process online

India's first digital census begins; President, PM participate in exercise

Prime Minister Modi also filled his self-enumeration details in the presence of the officials

Census 2027 will inform policy, but it could also reshape India's politics

The Census exercise will be carried out in two phases. The first phase will be a house-listing and housing Census, which will be conducted between April and September over a period of 30 days

Census 2027 Phase 1 begins today: Here's all you need to know about it

Census 2027 Phase 1 begins today, marking India's first digital headcount with caste data and self-enumeration. The long-delayed exercise will be conducted in two phases across the country

Census 2027 begins today, to be conducted digitally for first time

It is India's 16th Census and eighth after Independence

Phase one of Census 2027 to have 33 questions for citizens, says govt

The government has notified a set of 33 questions to be asked during the first phase of Census 2027 -- Housing Listing and Housing Operations (HLO) -- a month-long exercise to be conducted between April 1 and September 30 as per schedules finalised by states and Union Territories, a top official said on Monday. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, said, according to a January 22 notification, enumerators will collect details such as building number (municipal or local authority or census number), census house number, and the predominant materials used for the floor, walls, and roof. They will also record the use and condition of the house and assign a household number. They will also ask about the total number of usual residents in the household, name and sex of the head of the household, whether the head belongs to a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or other category, ownership status of the house, number of dwelling rooms and the number

Bengal has not yet issued notification for conducting Census: RGI Narayan

West Bengal has not yet issued the notification for conducting the Census, and the issue has been raised with the state, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan said on Monday. Asked about West Bengal, he said we have until September 30 to complete the first-phase process. "West Bengal has not issued the notification for conducting the Census. We have raised this issue with them. It is expected that they will issue the notification soon, as it is a legally mandated exercise. We have time till September 30 for the first phase of the exercise," he said. The Census 2027 is being conducted in two phases -- the first stage is known as houselisting and housing census, and the second stage is the population census. The housing listing operations will take place during a 30-day window specified by each state and Union Territory through notifications between April 1 and September 30 this year. There will also be an option for self-enumeration to be ...

Census 2026: Live-in couples to be treated as married; govt releases FAQs

If a live-in couple consider their relationship as a stable union, they should be treated as a married couple for the Census, according to the FAQs given on the self-enumeration portal. The portal has been opened for people opting for self-enumeration during the Census. It will be available for both phases of the Census Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) and Population Enumeration. The portal has a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to make it easy for the public to answer questions posed during the 16th Census of the country. "Will a couple in a live-in relationship be considered a married couple? If they consider their relationship as a stable union, they should be treated as a married couple," the FAQ states. The government has notified 33 questions that will be put to citizens during the first phase of the Census houselisting and housing enumeration, starting April 1, 2026. Questions such as the material used in house flooring and roof, number of married couples liv

Questions on caste to be notified before second phase of Census 2027: Govt

The questions on caste to be asked by enumerators will be notified before the commencement of the second phase of the Census 2027, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the questions will be finalised on the basis of inputs and suggestions received from different ministries, departments, organisations, Census data users, etc., before each Census. "The questions, including on caste, for the second phase will be finalised and notified as per the established procedure," he said. The Census will be conducted in two phases - houselisting and housing census from April to September 2026, and population enumeration (PE) in February 2027. The houselisting and housing census will systematically list all structures, houses and households throughout the country to provide a sound framework for the conduct of the population enumeration. The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting the Census of India, 2

Census 2027 offers historic chance to record disability data: Athawale

Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said the upcoming Census 2027 presents a "historic opportunity" to accurately capture data on all 21 recognised categories of disabilities and enable targeted policymaking for persons with disabilities. Speaking at the launch of a handbook titled 'Beyond the Visible: A Handbook on Disability Inclusion for Parliamentarians', Athawale said the exercise would be the first census conducted after the enactment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. He emphasised that improved enumeration and disaggregated data would help the government design effective interventions and ensure better inclusion of persons with disabilities. "The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, was a landmark reform that expanded recognition to 21 disabilities, shifted from a welfare-based to a rights-based approach, and aligned India with the UNCRPD. For the first time, the law explicitly recognised political barriers as a major obstacle for ..

Census 2027 to record transgender heads of households, govt tells RS

The upcoming Census will collect data on sex of head of household--Male, Female and Transgender, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a written response, said Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases. The questions for the first phase, which covers Houselisting and Housing Census, have been notified. "Information on Housing condition, Household particulars including name and sex of the head of the household, amenities available and assets possessed by household will be collected in this phase. Three categories of sex of head of household viz. Male/Female/Transgender will be collected," Rai said. Questions for the second phase, which is Population Enumeration where information of each individual will be collected, will be notified in due course, he added. The minister said enumerators shall undertake house-to-house field visits in the entire enumeration area for the collection of Census data to avoid any exclusion on any

Kerala govt rules out NPR implementation, new Census expected next year

The Kerala government on Friday reaffirmed that the NPR will not be implemented in the state under any circumstances, issuing an order to ensure compliance. In a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the government said the National Population Register will not be carried out alongside the new census process expected to begin next year. The General Administration (Protocol) Department had earlier, on Wednesday, issued a notification stating that "all activities connected with the updation of the National Population Register in the state stand suspended with effect from December 20, 2019." The CMO statement noted that the state government had in 2019 already ordered a halt to all steps aimed at implementing the NPR alongside the census. The census itself was subsequently postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The statement added that recent rumours suggesting the NPR could be conducted along with the upcoming nationwide census prompted the government to reiterate its .

US Census Bureau plans survey with citizenship question, alarming experts

The US Census Bureau plans to use a survey form with a citizenship question as part of its practice test of the 2030 census, raising questions about whether the Trump administration might try to make a significant change to the once-a-decade headcount that failed during the president's first term. The field test being conducted in Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, is using questions from the American Community Survey, the comprehensive survey of American life, rather than questions from recent census forms. Among the questions on the ACS is one that asks, "Is this person a citizen of the United States?" Questions for the census are not supposed to ask about citizenship, and they have not for 75 years. Last August, Trump instructed the Commerce Department to have the Census Bureau start work on a new census that would exclude immigrants who are in the US illegally from the head count. The Constitution's 14th Amendment says "the whole number of persons in each sta

Datanomics: Census exercise gets financial backup in Union Budget 2026

Budget 2026-27 raises census allocation to a record ₹6,000 crore, but its share of total expenditure remains lower than in previous census years

How India's 2027 housing Census questionnaire is different from 2011 Census

India's 2027 housing census trims questions but adds digital-age indicators like internet and smartphones, marking a shift from the 2011 houselisting approach

Census of India 2027: Phase 1 houselisting questionnaire notified

The questionnaire will form the basis for data collection during the houselisting phase, to be carried out between April 1 and September 30, 2026, across all states and Union Territories

After Census notification, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh chalk out plans

States begin planning Census 2027 houselisting from April, with Odisha and Uttar Pradesh among the first to roll out the digital exercise

Census 2027: Centre notifies first phase, house listing to begin April 1

The House Listing and Housing Census will precede population enumeration and focus on housing conditions and amenities, with the exercise scheduled across states and UTs in 2026