NEW DELHI: The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) on Monday said that data from Census 2027 will be available earlier than in previous exercises, as the operation will be conducted digitally for the first time in the country.A post on X from the office of the RGI & Census Commissioner said the first digital census will be conducted in two phases. “For the first time, technology will be used to collect data and send it electronically to the central server,” it said.A special dedicated web portal will be launched to enable self-enumeration, which will be available for both phases of the national enumeration exercise.“Data will be collected using mobile apps (both Android and iOS) in English, Hindi and regional languages. Enumerators and supervisors will use their own mobile devices for data collection,” the RGI said.During Census 2011, it took two to three years for primary data to be released. Officials expect the use of technology to reduce this lag significantly. All states have been directed to appoint nodal officers for Population Census 2027.“The first phase — Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) — will start from April 2026. Subsequently, Phase 2, i.e. Population Enumeration (PE), will be conducted in February 2027,” the RGI said, adding that “caste of household members will be enumerated.”“The Census will have focused and need-based training in each phase. There will be a three-tier training structure: national trainer, master trainer and field trainer. Field trainers will impart training to approximately 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors,” it said.The forthcoming census will also feature a focused publicity campaign to promote nationwide awareness, inclusive participation, last-mile engagement, and support for field operations.“It’ll emphasise on sharing accurate, authentic and timely information, ensuring cohesive and effective outreach.”According to the constitutional mandate, the first census after 2026 can be used as the basis to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies. The next General Election is expected to be held in 2029. The RGI notified the census process in the Gazette of India on 16 June.“Gazette Notification for intent of #Census2027 has been issued on 16th June 2025. All states and UTs have been requested to republish the notification in their state gazette and appoint a nodal officer for Census,” the RGI said.“For #Census2027, administrative boundaries across India will be frozen on 1 January 2026. States and UTs have been requested not to make changes in administrative boundaries between 1 January 2026 and 31 March 2027.”Stringent measures will be in place to ensure data security during collection, transmission, and storage.The reference date for Census 2027 will be 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027, and 00:00 hours on 1 October 2026 for Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, and snowbound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.It will be the 16th Census since the exercise began in India and the 8th after Independence.The RGI has instructed states and Union Territories to finalise any proposed changes to administrative boundaries by 31 December 2025, after which they will be frozen for the census operation.In a letter to all states and UTs, RGI Mritunjay Kumar Narayan said all villages and towns are to be divided into uniform enumeration blocks, with one enumerator assigned per block to avoid omissions or duplication.According to norms, the census can only be conducted three months after the freezing of boundary limits of administrative units such as districts, sub-districts, tehsils, talukas and police stations.Narayan added that from 1 April 2026, the Houselisting Operation will commence along with the appointment of supervisors and enumerators and allocation of their work. The Population Enumeration will begin on 1 February 2027.
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