The office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier announced the commencement of the conduct of Pre-test for the forthcoming Census of India 2027, in the selected samples across all the States. In Tamil Nadu The Pre- Test exercise was decided to be conducted in 3 charges - 2 rural charges and 1 urban charge,

Accordingly, the Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu in consultation with the State Government had identified Anchetty Taluk of Krishnagiri District (Rural), RK Pet Taluk of Thiruvallur District (Rural) and Mangadu Municipality of Kancheepuram District (Urban) for the execution of this Pre-test exercise.

For the first time, during the Pre-Test, mobile applications are being used for data collection and for preparation of Digital Layout Maps. All activities are being monitored in real time through the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) Portal, a web-based platform developed for real-time supervision and progress

All the preparatory activities such as, creation of Houselisting Blocks in the CMMS Portal, onboarding of the field functionaries (Enumerators and Supervisors), allocation of the Houselisting Blocks etc. were successfully completed under the guidance of the officials of the Census Department and the close monitoring of the State Nodal Officer.

An intensive three days training had been imparted from 03-11-2025 to 07-11-2025, to all field functionaries in all the selected 3 charges to familiarise with the concepts, procedures, questionnaires, and digital tools proposed for the main Census operations.

The Field operations of the Pre-Test exercise began on 10 November 2025 with supervisors digitally demarcating Houselisting Block boundaries using the Digital Layout Map (DLM) Mobile Application. Thereafter, the enumerators have carried out the geo-tagging of all the buildings in their Houselisting Block and completed the work on 14 November 2025. The State Government officials from departments such as Education, Revenue, Health, Sanitation, and Local Bodies have been deployed for the execution of this field work.

The House listing Operations have successfully commenced on November 15, 2025 after the completion of all preliminary work. All the field functionaries will be visiting households till November 30, 2025 within their allotted Houselisting block and canvass questionnaire comprising a set of 34 questions on Head of the Household, housing conditions, amenities available, household particulars, and assets possessed using the Houselisting Operations (HLO) Mobile Application.

The Pre-Test marks an important step in preparing for India’s first Digital Census. The insights gained from field operations, digital tools, and citizen participation will help refine systems, strengthen procedures, and enhance overall readiness for the smooth and efficient conduct of Census 2027.

 

During the visit, the officers reviewed the ongoing fieldwork with Shri. B.K. Senthil Kumar, Tahsildar, Anchetty Taluk who is the Rural Charge Census Officer to gather valuable insights on the functioning of the Census portals. The officers also interacted with the Supervisors and Enumerators and reviewed the functionalities of the mobile applications as well as the overall field operations. The event was attended by Shri. S. Chinnadurai, Joint Director (Census), Shri. R. Vasudevan, Deputy Director (Census), Shri. P. Elayaraja, Assistant Director (Census), other officials from Anchetty Taluk and technical support team from the Census Department, Chennai.

The Houselisting Operations exercise in RK Pet Taluk was commenced at Vanganur Village. Shri. S. Suresh, District Revenue Officer, Thiruvallur visited and reviewed the ongoing field work and interacted with Smt. R. Saraswathi, Tahsildar, RK Pet Taluk who is the Rural Charge Census Officer and enquired about the functionalities of the Census portals. The team also visited Kaandapuram Village and interacted with the field functionaries and obtained their feedback on the functionality of the Mobile apps. Shri. G Vasantha Kumar, Deputy Director (Census), other officials from RK Pet Taluk and technical support team from the Census Department, Chennai were also present.

The Houselisting Operations exercise in Managadu Municipality was commenced at Ward Number 5. Shri. Murugesan, District Revenue Officer, Kancheepuram visited and reviewed the ongoing field work with Smt. Rani, Municipal Commissioner, Mangadu (M), who is the Urban Charge Census Officer. Collector also interacted with the field functionaries and gathered their feedback on the app functionalities. Shri. V. Jegatheesan, Deputy Director (Census), other officials from Mangadu (M) and technical support team from the Census Department, Chennai were also present.

 

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