Census 2027: Houselisting Operations begin in 5 States/UTs; Self-Enumeration crosses 1.44 crore households

📌 Summary:

• Field operations for the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) under Phase I of Census 2027 commenced in 5 States/UTs: Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and MCD area of Delhi
• House-to-House Houselisting by Enumerators is currently in progress in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Haryana, MP, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand
• Houselisting has been completed in Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim, and NDMC + Delhi Cantonment areas of NCT Delhi
• Self-Enumeration (SE) facility — first time ever in Indian Census — now also commenced in Gujarat, J&K, Ladakh and Puducherry
• Self-Enumeration uptake: 1.44+ crore households have completed SE via portal se.census.gov.in across 25 States/UTs
• Residents must keep generated SE ID ready for verification by the Enumerator during the physical field visit
• Households that have not used SE will be covered through physical house-to-house enumeration
• Marks a major step in digitisation of Census operations; first technology-enabled Census in independent India

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS1 — Population, demographics; GS2 — Census as a governance & welfare-delivery instrument (basis for delimitation, planning, scheme targeting); GS3 — Data digitisation, e-governance, statistical infrastructure

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Census 2027 — first Census after the 2011 Census; conducted under the Census Act, 1948 by the Office of Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India (RGCCI), MHA
• Two phases: (1) Houselisting & Housing Census; (2) Population Enumeration
• Self-Enumeration portal: se.census.gov.in — first ever in Census history
• Reference date for Census 2027: 1 March 2027 (snow-bound regions: 1 October 2026 for J&K, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand)
• Census 2027 will also collect caste data for the first time since 1931
• 1.44+ crore households have already self-enumerated across 25 States/UTs

🔑 Key Term: Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) — Phase I of the decadal Census, which records information on every building, household amenities and assets before population enumeration in Phase II.