New Delhi: India is set to launch its first-ever digital census, with citizens given the option to self-enumerate through a dedicated web portal, officials announced on Monday. The portal will be accessible during both phases of the upcoming national enumeration exercise.

For the first time, data will be collected digitally by enumerators using mobile applications on Android and Apple devices. Citizens will also have the opportunity to submit their information themselves via the web portal during the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) and the Population Enumeration (PE) phases.

“This digital census initiative is a transformational step towards modernising the Census process. Technology will be used to collect and transmit data electronically to a central server, enabling faster access to census results,” an official said.

Strict data protection protocols will be implemented to ensure the security of information during collection, transmission, and storage.

The Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) is scheduled to begin on April 1, 2026, followed by the Population Enumeration (PE) phase starting on February 1, 2027. The caste details of household members will also be recorded in this census.

The reference date for the Census 2027 will be 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, and for the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, as well as snowbound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, it will be 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026.

This will be the 16th Census of India and the 8th since Independence, as per a gazette notification issued on June 16.

To support the massive operation, the Registrar General of India (RGI) has implemented a three-tier training system comprising national trainers, master trainers, and field trainers. These field trainers will be responsible for training approximately 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors.

The RGI has also directed all states and Union Territories to finalise proposed changes to the boundaries of administrative units—such as districts, sub-districts, tehsils, talukas, and police stations—by December 31, 2025. These boundaries will be frozen as of that date and used for the Census.

In a letter to all states and UTs, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan emphasised that all villages and towns will be divided into uniform enumeration blocks. Each block will be assigned to a specific enumerator to ensure comprehensive and non-duplicative population coverage.

As per Census norms, the enumeration process can commence only three months after administrative boundaries are frozen.

Starting April 1, 2026, the Houselisting phase will also involve the appointment and deployment of supervisors and enumerators. The actual population enumeration will begin on February 1, 2027.

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