Census 2027 to Go Digital with Apps, Self-Enumeration Portal

• Census 2027 to be conducted in two phases: Houselisting and Population Enumeration
• Mobile apps and online portals developed for digital data collection
• Offline and paper-based options available in unavoidable cases
• Government assures no exclusion through mandatory field visits

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 4th Feb: The Government of India has announced that Census 2027 will be conducted digitally, with the use of mobile applications, an integrated Census Management and Monitoring Portal, and a Self-Enumeration Portal, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed Parliament on Tuesday.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the Census will be carried out in two phases — the first phase comprising the Houselisting and Housing Census, followed by the second phase of Population Enumeration.

He said dedicated mobile apps have been developed for data collection during the first phase, along with digital platforms for census management and monitoring. Provision for offline data collection has also been built into the mobile apps to ensure uninterrupted enumeration in areas with connectivity challenges.

“In unavoidable circumstances, enumerators may collect data in paper mode, and such data will be digitised at the charge level itself,” the Minister said, adding that robust security measures have been put in place during data collection, transmission and storage at the server level.

The Minister clarified that enumerators will continue to undertake house-to-house visits in their allotted enumeration blocks to collect census data. The self-enumeration facility, he said, is only an additional option for respondents and does not replace physical verification.

He emphasised that mandatory field visits by enumerators will ensure that no individual or household is excluded from the Census on any ground, even as digital tools are leveraged to improve efficiency, accuracy and transparency.