Field operations for houselisting and housing census under Phase 1 of Census 2027 have begun in six states and union territories: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, following completion of the notified 15-day self-enumeration period. The exercise will continue until May 30, 2026, during which trained enumerators will carry out house-to-house visits to collect data. The operation uses a digital approach while retaining the traditional door-to-door framework to ensure comprehensive coverage.

The self-enumeration facility has also started in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi area, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Meghalaya and Jharkhand and will remain open until May 15, 2026, with corresponding house-to-house houselisting operations scheduled from May 16 to June 14, 2026. In Bihar the 15-day self-enumeration period concludes today and field operations will run from May 2 to May 31, 2026. The online option was introduced to enable residents to submit details through a secure and user-friendly portal before field visits.

As part of the digital shift for Census 2027, around 8.2 million (mn) households have so far used the self-enumeration facility through the official portal. Households that complete self-enumeration are advised to retain their generated Self-Enumeration ID and share it with enumerators during the field visit, while those that have not will be reached by enumerators during physical visits. Enumerators will collect information on housing conditions, household composition, amenities and assets using a structured questionnaire of 33 notified questions.

All data collected under the Census Act, 1948, is strictly confidential and will be used only for statistical purposes and development planning. The self-enumeration facility is also under way in Telangana and Punjab, while houselisting operations are continuing in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim and Uttarakhand as well as in NDMC and Delhi Cantonment areas. Residents in notified states and union territories are requested to cooperate with enumerators and participate actively in the census exercise.