16th Census Exercise Begins, Nearly 55,000 Households From 8 States and UTs Register

New Delhi:The first phase of Census of India 2027 commenced on Wednesday, with around 55,000 households across eight states and Union Territories opting for self-enumeration on the opening day.

President Droupadi Murmu initiated the exercise using the self-enumeration facility, followed by Vice-President C.P, Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, marking the first time top constitutional functionaries participated through a digital census process.

The self-enumeration facility has been launched in selected regions, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Sikkim, Odisha, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, and areas under NDMC and the Cantonment Board in New Delhi.

Officials said the web-based portal allows citizens to fill in their details in advance and generate a unique Self-Enumeration ID for verification during the enumerator’s visit.

The Houselisting and Housing Census phase in these regions will be conducted from April 16 to May 15, while the nationwide exercise will continue till September 30, with each state and UT undertaking a 30-day enumeration cycle.

The self-enumeration option, available in 16 regional languages, is being offered for the first time as an additional facility alongside traditional door-to-door surveys.

Officials said 33 questions have been notified for Phase I to collect data on housing conditions, amenities and assets, forming the basis for policy planning and welfare programmes.

Data collection will be carried out under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, with authorities stating that strong encryption and multi-factor authentication have been incorporated to ensure data security.