Census 2027: door-to-door enumeration to start on January 25

Population Enumeration is the second and penultimate phase of Census 2027. Enumerators visit households and collect information about each person. This matters because it creates the population count and demographic record used by the census. The earlier Houselisting Operations phase focused on listing houses and collecting information about housing and household facilities.

For example, during Population Enumeration, an enumerator may ask about a person’s caste, religion, nationality, digital literacy, identity documents, and parents’ birthplaces. Houselisting Operations instead prepares the base list of homes and households. The two phases therefore examine different units: residences first, people later.

Houselisting Operations began on April 1, 2026, and was completed across India by September 30, except in Manipur. Population Enumeration will generally run from January 25 to February 28, 2027, followed by a revisional round. Together, the phases provide the structure and personal information needed for Census 2027.

For most of India, self-enumeration will be available from January 10 to January 24, 2027. Door-to-door Population Enumeration will run from January 25 to February 28. A revisional round will follow from March 1 to March 5. These stages let residents provide information themselves, enable enumerators to check households, and correct omissions or changes.

The census notification sets the reference date at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027. In census practice, this is the common time point to which the population count and collected information are anchored. For example, the enumeration process may occur earlier, but the official count relates to people and circumstances at that reference moment.

The four poll-bound States have an earlier schedule. Their self-enumeration begins November 16, 2026, and door-to-door work begins December 1, ending with the stated early exercise on January 5, 2027. The Gazette notification excludes Manipur until a further declaration.

Census 2027 will use a set of 40 questions during Population Enumeration. Thirteen of these are new, making this census more detailed than earlier exercises in the areas identified by the article. The questions seek information about people’s identities, backgrounds, household connections, documents, and digital access.

Examples include caste other than Scheduled Tribe or Scheduled Caste, religion, both parents’ places and dates of birth, number of bank accounts, spouse’s name, nationality, and digital literacy. Enumerators will also ask about permanent residence, Covid-19 vaccination place, passport and driving licence availability, and mobile, Aadhaar, and voter ID numbers if available.

This is also the first digital Census and the first to enumerate caste and permit self-enumeration. The broader questionnaire may produce more detailed population information, but it also creates challenges around privacy, trust, and explaining why specific information is requested. Training and clear communication will therefore matter during implementation.

Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Punjab will undergo the exercise ahead of most of India because they are identified as poll-bound States. Their Population Enumeration schedule runs from November 16, 2026, to January 5, 2027. This allows the census exercise to be completed there before the general timetable begins.

In these States, the self-enumeration portal goes live on November 16, and door-to-door enumeration begins December 1. The article does not give a separate operational reason beyond their poll-bound status. It also reports that Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand were completed earlier, on September 30.

Manipur has been excluded for now because it has been affected by ethnic violence. The Gazette notification says the State is excluded “till further declaration.” Its census work has therefore been deferred indefinitely, unlike the completed snow-bound areas and the specially scheduled poll-bound States.

Sensitive questions can make respondents hesitant or confused. Caste, Aadhaar, identity documents, and parents’ birthplaces involve personal identity, family history, and official records. People may worry about privacy, discrimination, or consequences if their answers differ from documents. Questions about age and birthplace can also be difficult when records are unavailable or memories are uncertain.

At an enumerator training session attended by The Hindu, a trainer explained how to coax respondents into sharing Aadhaar data. The trainer reportedly suggested that it could be used as citizenship proof. Census officials denied giving instructions to describe Aadhaar in that way. This disagreement illustrates how wording and training can influence public confidence.

These concerns can reduce cooperation or produce incomplete and inconsistent answers. Enumerators therefore need clear, accurate explanations and careful handling of personal information. The article identifies Aadhaar, caste, age, and parents’ birthplaces as key challenges as the digital census and self-enumeration approach begin.

The Census of India is conducted under the authority of the Central Government, with the Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner overseeing the notified exercise. On October 30, 2026, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, identified as Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, issued the notification for Population Enumeration.

The legal basis is Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, read with Rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the Gazette notification. It declares the census schedule and the arrangements for self-enumeration, subject to the listed territorial exceptions and special schedules.

This legal framework gives the government authority to conduct the census and collect the information required by its questionnaire. It also formally establishes dates, the reference point, and the revisional round. Census 2027 will be digital and will allow self-enumeration, but it remains an officially notified exercise under the existing census law.

Governments conduct population censuses to establish a broad factual base about how many people live in a country and where they live. The information can support planning for public services, infrastructure, budgets, and representation. Census 2027’s questions also cover characteristics such as caste, religion, nationality, digital literacy, and identity-document availability.

A census seeks to reach households across the country and anchor the results to one reference date. A survey studies a sample rather than every household and then estimates wider patterns. An estimate is a calculated approximation, often used between full counts. Administrative records come from specific systems, such as documents or service databases, and may not cover everyone or use the same definitions.

The source does not separately explain these distinctions, but Census 2027 illustrates the census model through household visits, self-enumeration, a 40-question schedule, and a March 1, 2027 reference date. Its digital process may improve collection, while sensitive questions make trust and accuracy important.