Census 2027 to Also IncludeTransgender-Headed Households: Govt
Three categories of the sex of the head of household—male, female and transgender—will be recorded
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the upcoming Census 2027 will collect data on the sex of the head of a household, categorising it as male, female or transgender.
In a written reply, minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai said the Census will be conducted in two phases, and the questions for the first phase covering Houselisting and Housing Census have already been notified.
“Information on housing conditions, household particulars including the name and sex of the head of the household, amenities available and assets possessed by the household will be collected in this phase. Three categories of the sex of the head of household—male, female and transgender—will be recorded,” Rai said.
He added that the questions for the second phase, Population Enumeration, during which information about every individual will be collected, will be notified in due course.
The minister said enumerators will conduct house-to-house visits across the entire enumeration area to collect Census data and ensure that no one is excluded on any grounds.
He noted that self-enumeration will also be available as an additional option for respondents to submit their data. However, enumerators will verify the information submitted through the self-enumeration portal before final submission.
“Frequently asked questions, tool tips and validation checks have been incorporated in the self-enumeration portal to ensure the accuracy of the data,” he said.
Rai said the government has also taken adequate measures to ensure data security while collecting data through mobile devices, during transmission and at the server level.
“Adequate training is being provided to all field functionaries involved in Census work, including enumerators and supervisors. Validation rules are built into the mobile application to ensure data consistency and accuracy. Data collected by enumerators will also be monitored and verified by supervisors,” he added.
The Union Cabinet has approved ₹11,718 crore for conducting the Census of India 2027, which will also include caste enumeration for the first time.
The 16th Census since Independence will be conducted as a fully digital exercise and will allow citizens the option of self-enumeration. The decennial Census, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
