Home Minister Amit Shah Launches ‘Pragati’ and ‘Vikas’ Mascots for Census-2027

Union Home Minister Amit Shah soft launched digital tools and unveiled the mascots. This mascots named are ‘Pragati’ and ‘Vikas’ for Census 2027 in New Delhi. The upcoming census will be the world’s largest census exercise and will be conducted in two phases across India. For the first time this Census 2027 will be fully digital and will include a Self Enumeration option allowing citizens to submit their information online. This initiative marks a major technological upgrade in India’s population census system. It will involve more than 30 lakh enumerators and officials across the country.

Pragati and Vikas Mascots Census-2027 Explained

• The government unveiled ‘Pragati’ (female) and ‘Vikas’ (male) as official mascots of Census 2027 digital census India.
• The mascots represent gender equality and equal participation of women and men in national development.
• They will serve as public awareness ambassadors to spread information about the census.
• The mascots also symbolize India’s vision to become a developed nation by 2047.

Census-2027 Digital Census India: First Fully Digital Population Survey

• Census-2027 digital census India will be the first population census conducted entirely using digital technology.
• The Government of India formally initiated the process through a Gazette Notification on 16 June 2025.
• Digital platforms developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) will support the entire census operation.
• Over 3 million enumerators, supervisors and officials will participate in the Census-2027 digital census India exercise.
• Which also making it the largest data collection activity in the world.

Four Digital Tools Introduced for Census-2027 Digital Census India

The government launched four major digital platforms to conduct the Census-2027 digital census India efficiently.

1. Houselisting Block Creator (HLBC) Web Application

• A web based mapping tool that helps officials create digital house listing blocks using satellite imagery.
• Ensures accurate geographic coverage and better planning of census operations.

2. HLO Mobile Application

• A secure offline mobile application for enumerators.
• Allows officials to collect and upload house listing data directly from the field.
• Works on Android and iOS platforms and supports 16 regional languages.

3. Self-Enumeration Portal

• The Self Enumeration portal Census-2027 digital census India allows households to submit their details online before the door to door survey.
• After submission, a Self Enumeration ID (SE ID) is generated.
• Enumerators will use this ID to verify the submitted information.

4. Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS)

• A centralized digital dashboard used to manage and monitor census operations across the country.
• Officials at district, sub-district, and state levels can track progress in real time.
• Census-2027 Digital Census India Will Be Conducted in Two Phases
• The Census-2027 digital census India exercise will be carried out in two major phases.

No. of Phase For Census-2027

Phase 1: Houselisting and Housing Census

• Data on housing conditions, household facilities and amenities will be collected.
• The survey will be conducted between 1 April 2026 and 30 September 2026.
• An optional 15 day Self-Enumeration period will take place before the door-to-door survey.

Phase 2: Population Enumeration

• The second phase will record demographic, social and economic information of every individual.
• This phase will be conducted in February 2027 across India.
• The caste-related question will also be included in this phase.

Reference Dates for Census-2027 Digital Census India

• The official reference date for Census-2027 digital census India is 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027 for most states and union territories.
• For Ladakh and snow bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand the reference date will be 1 October 2026.
• Population data will be recorded according to these reference dates.

Question

Q. Which feature will be introduced for the first time in Census-2027 in India?

A. Paper-based survey
B. Self-Enumeration option
C. Postal data collection
D. Manual record system