Census 2027 commences in 8 states and UTs, 55,000 avail self-enumeration facility

New Delhi: Census 2027, considered the world's largest such exercise, kickstarted on Wednesday with around 55,000 households availing the first-ever digital self enumeration facility. This is India’s first ever digital data capture and self-enumeration during Census.

The phase 1 of the Census -- Houselisting and Housing Census -- started with the enumeration of President Droupadi Murmu through the option of self-enumeration as officials continued with the tradition of commencing the national count with the First Citizen of India.

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were among around 55,000 people who self enumerated on the first day of Census.

The exercise started in eight states and union territories -- in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim, NDMC and Cantonment Board areas in Delhi.

According to an official statement, self-enumeration exercise is a secure, web-based facility available in 16 regional languages.

For the first time, respondents can fill in their details online at their convenience before the enumerator’s visit. Enumerators will carry out door-to-door visits in all allocated houselisting blocks as in previous Censuses, while Self-Enumeration serves as an additional facility.

This will be followed by the second phase in February next year when population is counted and details of caste, demographic, socio-economic, cultural and other details of every person in each household is collected.