• Source:JND
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A web portal dedicated to self-enumeration will be launched for the upcoming Census, available for both phases of the national enumeration exercise, officials announced Monday.

India’s First Fully Digital Census Using Mobile Applications

In the country’s first fully digital Census, enumerators will collect citizen data using mobile applications on Android and Apple devices. For the first time, citizens themselves will also have the opportunity to self-enumerate via this special web portal during both the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) phase and the Population Enumeration (PE) phase. To protect sensitive information, very stringent data security measures will be implemented throughout data collection, transmission, and storage.

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"Digital Census initiative is a transformational step towards modernising the Census process. For the first time, technology will be used to collect data and send it electronically to the central server. This will result in early availability of Census data," an official said.

The Houselisting Operation will commence on April 1, 2026, followed by the Population Enumeration starting February 1, 2027. The Census will include enumeration of household members’ castes as part of the data collection.

Key Census Phases And Timelines

The official reference date for Census 2027 is set at midnight (00:00 hrs) on March 1, 2027, with specific dates of October 1, 2026, for the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, as well as snowbound, non-synchronous areas in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

This will mark the 16th Census exercise in the country and the 8th since Independence, following a gazette notification issued on June 16.

Three-Tier Training Program 

To ensure smooth execution, the Registrar General of India (RGI) has established a comprehensive three-tier training structure, national trainers, master trainers, and field trainers, who will collectively prepare approximately 3.4 million enumerators and supervisors for the large-scale operation.

States and Union Territories have been instructed to finalize any proposed changes to administrative boundaries by December 31, after which the boundaries will be locked in for Census use. The Census divides all villages and towns into uniform enumeration blocks, with one enumerator assigned per block to prevent omissions or duplications.

Timeline Requirement For Enumeration Initiation

According to Census norms, enumeration can only begin three months after finalising the administrative boundaries of districts, sub-districts, tehsils, talukas, and police stations.

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Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan highlighted that starting April 1, 2026, the Houselisting Operation, appointment of supervisors and enumerators, and division of work will take place, followed by the Population Enumeration from February 1, 2027.

(With PTI Inputs)