Census 2026-2027 | First phase starting in April, questionnaire to have 33 questions

New Delhi: From availability of bathing facilities to access to internet and number of married couples living in a house, the government on Thursday notified 33 questions to be asked during the first phase of the Census -- houselisting and housing enumeration -- starting April 1.

The questionnaire in 2011 had 29 questions during phase 1, while the number has increased to 33 with some questions being split. The notable inclusion in 2027 is to ascertain access to internet as well as main cereal consumed by the household. However, the question on availing banking facilities have been omitted.

To existing questions, the 2027 houselisting exercise will also try to ascertain whether citizens have access to smartphones while asking about the kind of mobile phones one uses.

The first phase of Census 2027-- houselisting operations-- will take place during a 30-day period specified by each state and Union Territory between April 1 and September 30 this year while the phase II -- population enumeration -- will be held in February next year. There will also be an option for self-enumeration to be conducted in a 15-day period just before the start of houselisting operations of 30 days.

While the notification of questionnaire of Phase I has been issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner said, the questionnaire for Phase II -- Population Enumeration -- will be notified in due course.

The notification said, the central government instructed  that "all Census officers may, within the limits of the local areas for which they have been respectively appointed, ask all such questions from all persons on the items enumerated below for collecting information through the houselisting and housing census schedule in connection with the Census of India 2027". 

The listed questions include predominant material used in house flooring, wall and roof, use and condition of census house, sex of the head of the household, type of cereal consumed, access to basic and modern necessities and types of vehicles owned among others.

The phase 1 exercise will also try to determine the main source of lighting, access to latrine, type of latrine, waste water outlet, availability of kitchen and LPG/PNG connection and main fuel for cooking.

During the phase 1 exercise, the census enumerators will also ask whether the households have radio/transistor, TV, laptop/computer, bycycle/scooter/motorcycle/moped as well as car/jeep/van.