Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday completed his self-enumeration as India commenced the first phase of Census 2027, marking the rollout of the country’s first fully digital census exercise.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said he had completed his self-enumeration and noted that the first phase relates to house listing and housing operations. He urged citizens to take part in the process by submitting their household details through the self-enumeration facility.
Census 2027 marks a shift from the traditional paper-based system followed for over 150 years, with data collection now being carried out through digital means. The exercise is being conducted in two phases under the Census Act, 1948. The first phase, known as the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), focuses on collecting information on housing conditions, household assets, and amenities through a set of 33 notified questions.
A key feature of this Census is the introduction of self-enumeration, which allows citizens to voluntarily submit their details online through a dedicated portal. The facility is available in multiple languages, including English, Hindi, and 14 regional languages. The self-enumeration window of 15 days precedes the door-to-door enumeration process in each State and Union Territory. The initiative is aimed at improving accuracy, reducing errors, and encouraging wider participation.
The first phase of house listing will be conducted between April and September 2026 in a staggered manner across the country. In select regions, including areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment, as well as Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Sikkim, self-enumeration is being carried out from April 1 to April 15, followed by house-to-house listing from April 16 to May 15.
The second phase, which will cover population enumeration, is scheduled for early 2027, with March 1, 2027 set as the reference date.
