The field operations for the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO), constituting Phase I of Census 2027, will begin from April 16, 2026 in eight States and Union Territories namely Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Sikkim, along with the NDMC area and Delhi Cantonment Board in the National Capital Territory, as part of the nationwide Census exercise, following the conclusion of the 15-day Self-Enumeration period. The exercise will be carried out over a 30-day period till May 15, 2026, during which trained Enumerators will undertake house-to-house visits for data collection.

The Self-Enumeration (SE) facility introduced for the first time in Census has received an encouraging response from the public. As part of the digital approach adopted for Census 2027, so far around 12 lakh households have successfully availed Self-Enumeration facility through the official portal (se.census.gov.in).

The facility was made available prior to the field enumeration period to enable residents to submit their details online through a secure and user-friendly digital platform. The initiative marks a significant milestone in digitising Census operations and has been widely appreciated for offering flexibility, convenience and ease of participation.

Residents who have completed Self-Enumeration are requested to keep their generated Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) ready and share the same with the Enumerator during the field visit to complete the HLO process. Households that have not opted for Self-Enumeration will be covered during the physical house-to-house visit by Enumerators.

The Census is being conducted using digital tools for the first time, while retaining the traditional door-to-door enumeration framework to ensure comprehensive and accurate coverage. During the field visits, Enumerators will use a dedicated mobile application to collect data digitally to ensure higher accuracy and faster processing.

During the Houselisting and Housing Census phase, Enumerators will collect information relating to housing conditions, household details, amenities available and assets possessed by the households through a structured questionnaire comprising 33 notified questions. This phase of the Census forms an essential foundation for evidence-based planning and formulation of welfare and development programmes.

In the next phase of rollout, the Self-Enumeration facility will commence from April 16, 2026 in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and will remain available till April 30, 2026. The corresponding house-to-house Houselisting Operations in these States/UTs will be conducted from May 1 to May 30, 2026.

Further, in Bihar, the 15-day Self-Enumeration period will commence from April 17, 2026 and continue till May 1, 2026, followed by field operations from May 2 to May 31, 2026.

All data collected under the Census Act, 1948, remains strictly confidential and is used solely for statistical purposes and development planning. Residents in the notified States/UTs are requested to extend full cooperation to Enumerators during the Houselisting Operations and actively participate in this important national exercise.

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