For the first time, citizens being given self-enumeration option in Census -2027

Preparations for the country’s first fully digital Census-2027 have begun in full swing. For the first time, citizens are being given the option of self-enumeration.

Under this, 15 days before the commencement of the census work in the state, i.e., from May 7 to May 21, 2026, all citizens will be able to conduct their own census by filling out the online questionnaire through the Self-Enumeration Portal and mobile app.

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Extensive arrangements are being made at the central, state, district, and tehsil levels. This will be the 16 census of the country and the eighth since independence and is considered the largest and most reliable source of primary data at the village, city, and ward levels.

On Monday, the Chief Principal Census Officer and Director, Directorate of Census Operations, Uttar Pradesh, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Sheetal Verma (IAS), held a detailed review meeting on the preparations for Census-2027 with the Varanasi Divisional Commissioner and the District Magistrates of the four districts at the Commissionerate auditorium.

The census will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, house listing and house enumeration will be carried out simultaneously across Uttar Pradesh from May 22 to June 20, 2026. The second phase will involve population enumeration, which will be conducted simultaneously across the country in February 2027.

Census-2027 will be entirely conducted through digital means. Digital apps will be used to prepare GIS-based maps and enumeration blocks of all urban local bodies and villages to ensure complete coverage.

In the meeting, the Director of Census Operations, Uttar Pradesh, gave a detailed presentation on the census process, timeline, and action plan. Intensive discussions were held on the successful and efficient conduct of the census, action plans, and roadmaps on the issue.

Verma said that the census will collect detailed information related to social, economic, and housing conditions, which will form a strong basis for future development plans and policy-making. He stated that the data collected would prove extremely useful in the development of the country’s infrastructure.

During the house listing and house enumeration process, enumerators will collect a total of 33 types of information related to the building’s use, construction materials, number of rooms, ownership status, availability of toilets, primary source of lighting, fuel used for cooking, LPG/PNG connection, main foodgrains consumed by the family, and amenities such as telephones, vehicles, televisions, and internet access. All this information will be collected digitally.

All information provided by the families will be kept strictly confidential. Officials and employees involved in the census work will receive phased training starting February 15th.

It is estimated that approximately 10,000 personnel will be deployed for census duty in Varanasi district, 11,000 in Jaunpur, 9,000 in Ghazipur, and 5,000 in Chandauli.

Varanasi Divisional Commissioner S Rajalingam emphasised the importance of training and instructed all District Magistrates to ensure effective training arrangements and pay special attention to the selection of suitable trainers. He said that all necessary preparations should be completed now to ensure that the census work is conducted in a timely, transparent, and error-free manner.

The meeting was attended by the District Magistrates of all four districts of the Varanasi division, Chief Development Officers, the Varanasi Municipal Commissioner, all Additional District Magistrates (Finance and Revenue), the Joint Director of Education, the Deputy Director of Information, the Deputy Director of Panchayati Raj, the Deputy Director of Economics and Statistics, the District Informatics Officer, and other officials concerned.