Digital Tools, AI to Power Population Census in Telangana

Hyderabad: With the Centre issuing a gazette notification for the population census on Monday, preparations have officially begun in Telangana for the landmark enumeration exercise. The state is poised to leverage cutting-edge technologies, including digital tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to ensure 100 per cent accuracy in the data collection process. This will be the first time that such advanced technologies will play a central role in a national census.

The upcoming population census will be a comprehensive exercise, marking a major milestone with the inclusion of caste enumeration, which will be part of the nationwide count for the first time. In addition to demographic data, the census will collect detailed caste information through door-to-door visits, ensuring direct data gathering from households across Telangana. The Directorate of Census Operations in the state has already set the stage for this massive undertaking, which will be conducted ahead of the national census scheduled for 2027.

The reference date for the census, as per the Centre's notification, will be 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027 and Telangana is expected to begin the enumeration process within the next six months.

Official sources in the Directorate of Census Operations, Telangana, said that AI will be a crucial tool in the upcoming census. "We are determined to ensure 100 percent accuracy as the data collected forms the backbone of policymaking in the country," said an official. The state is set to utilise a mobile application for both digital data collection and storage, which will be launched in July. This mobile-based approach will enhance the speed and accuracy of the enumeration process and will also include advanced analytics, the official added.

For the first time in the history of the Census, advanced technology is expected to streamline the operations. Enumerators will be trained to use these digital tools to gather data more effectively, ensuring that each household's details are accurately recorded.

To ensure smooth operations, the Directorate has already requested the Telangana government to deploy additional manpower. A significant increase in the number of enumerators is planned, with 80,000 enumerators expected to be appointed. These enumerators, who will include government employees and teachers, will undergo structured training to familiarise themselves with the census process.

The training will cover House Listing Operation (HLO), which involves gathering housing conditions, amenities, and assets, under the phase-1, and population enumeration, which will collect demographic, socio-economic and cultural details from each individual in the household under the phase-2.

As part of the preparations, the directorate is also set to make a public appeal urging citizens to have their documents and information ready to ensure an efficient and accurate census process.

One of the major concerns for any large-scale data gathering operation is security. The Telangana census will employ stringent data security measures to safeguard the information collected, including encryption during transmission and secure storage protocols.

The Telangana government's recent Socio-Economic, Education, Employment, Political, and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey, also known as caste census, has laid the groundwork for this process. Conducted during November-December 2024, the SEEEPC survey covered 94,261 Enumeration Blocks and included 150 households in each block.

The survey, which also aimed at gathering comprehensive demographic data, was completed within a short span of 50 days and achieved an impressive 96.9 per cent coverage of Telangana households, with around 3.54 crore people surveyed.

The caste census, which was conducted in two phases, was notable for its inclusivity, adding new categories like "no caste" and "no religion." It also highlighted that 56.33 per cent of Telangana’s population belongs to the Backward Classes, with Muslims constituting 10.08 per cent of this group.

While the SEEEPC survey was an important step toward understanding the socio-economic landscape of the state, it remains to be seen how the population census data will align with or differ from the results of the SEEEPC survey.