Relevance : GS 2(Governance)
Census 2027 Phase 1 – Key Details
- Timeline & Scope:
- Phase 1, i.e., House Listing & Housing Census, is tentatively scheduled to begin April 1, 2026.
- It will cover all States and UTs in a phased manner, ideally between April and September.
- Digital Census – First Ever:
- This will be India’s first digital Census.
- Enumerators will use mobile apps/tablets instead of traditional paper-based forms, aiming for real-time, geo-tagged data collection.
- Coordination & Human Resources:
- The Registrar General of India (RGI) is coordinating closely with State governments.
- 1.3 lakh Census functionaries will be deployed for the House Listing and Housing Schedule.
- Use of 2021 Enumeration Blocks (EBs):
- 24 lakh Enumeration Blocks (EBs), originally finalized for the postponed 2021 Census, will be reused.
- Each EB typically covers 150–180 households or 650–800 individuals.
- What is Done in House Listing Phase:
- Each house/building/public space is assigned a unique census number.
- Information collected includes:
- Building type and material
- Drinking water source
- Sanitation facility
- Electricity availability
- Use of the building (residential, commercial, vacant, etc.)
Observations and Challenges
- Delayed but Digitally Upgraded Census:
- Originally slated for 2021, Census was delayed due to COVID-19.
- 2027 Census marks a transformational shift in methodology through digitization.
- Advantages of Going Digital:
- Faster data processing and dissemination.
- Reduction in manual errors and paper waste.
- Facilitates geo-tagging and real-time supervision.
- Challenges Ahead:
- Training over 1 lakh functionaries in using digital tools may be resource- and time-intensive.
- Digital divide and technological readiness in remote/rural areas could be a hurdle.
- Data privacy and security concerns will need to be addressed robustly.
- Reuse of 2021 EBs – Efficient but Risky:
- Ensures continuity and saves preparatory time.
- But urban expansion, migration, and demographic shifts since 2021 may render some EBs outdated, affecting accuracy.
Census in India: Background
- Legal Basis: Conducted under the Census Act of 1948, which provides the framework for population enumeration and protects the confidentiality of individual data.
- Conducting Authority: Managed by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- First Census: The first synchronous census of India was conducted in 1881 during British rule under W.C. Plowden.
- Decennial Exercise: Held every 10 years, with the most recent completed in 2011. The 2021 Census has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other administrative reasons.
- Two Phases:
- House-listing & Housing Census: Collects information about buildings, amenities, and households.
- Population Enumeration: Collects demographic, social, and economic data on individuals.
- Digital Transition: The upcoming Census (2027, with first phase in 2026) will be conducted digitally for the first time using mobile apps and real-time data entry.
- Enumerators: Data is collected by over 1.3 lakh trained census functionaries, often drawn from the local government workforce like teachers.
