Census 2027 self-enumeration trial to begin in select areas
POPULATION
1 NOVEMBER 2025
- The efficacy of the self-enumeration module for the first phase of Population Census 2027 will be tested with enumerators visiting the homes of prominent citizens in their areas and helping them fill the details on a website, a senior government official said.
- This will be the first digital Census, and the first to enumerate caste in Independent India.
- A pre-test shall be done for Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) using the website and the mobile application prepared with as many as 30 questions on household particulars such as building number, Census house number, predominant material of the roof, floor of the house, name and sex of the head of the household, number of persons residing in the household, main source of drinking water, main source of lighting, access to toilet, main fuel used for cooking, access to radio, TV, laptop, computer, car, main cereal consumed and mobile number are likely to be asked.
- On October 16, 2025, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) notified that the pre-test for HLO, the first phase of Population Census 2027, will be conducted from November 10–30 in selected sample areas of all States and Union Territories and the option to self-enumerate will be available from November 1-7.
- Pre-test is required to test the efficacy of the entire exercise that will be held in two phases – HLO and Population Enumeration from April 1, 2026, to February 28, 2027.
- Census 2021, which was postponed indefinitely initially due to COVID-19 pandemic is now being known as Population Census 2027, as the population headcount, the second and the final phase will be done by February 28, 2027.
- The October 16, 2025 notification implied that since the methodology on caste enumeration has not been finalised, unlike the previous instances, the pre-test for only the first phase – HLO – was notified.
