India Census 2027 Digital: Phase 1 Starting April 1, 2026 Details

India will set to begin the Census 2027 from the next year in 2027. It is the 16th Census in the history and 8th after the Independence. As the Phase 1 will be starting from the April 1, 2026. It was announced by the Mritunjay Kumar Narayan and this will be the first-ever fully digital census to be conducted in the country. While using mobile apps and online self-enumeration portal also available in the multiple languages and this exercise marks the major shift into the data collection along with  aim to for greater accuracy, transparency and efficiency.

Census 2027 Phase 1: Key Highlights and Timeline

The first phase of the Census 2027 which is known as the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO). it will be conducted from the April to September 2026 across the all states and Union Territories in India

This phase will be focused on the collecting data related to the,

• The housing conditions and the structure
• Also the household amenities like water, electricity, sanitation
• The ownership of the assets and living standards of individual

The main feature is the introduction of the Self-Enumeration (SE) which will allow the citizens to fill the correct data online before the enumerators can visit their households.

This timeline also follows the structured approach which is the,

• 15 days of the self enumeration
• Also it will followed by 30 days of door-to-door enumeration

With this hybrid model it ensure the both convenience and verification of data

State-Wise Schedule: How the Census Will Roll Out Across India

The schedule of Census Phase 1 has been the carefully planned in the correct manner to ensuring the smooth execution in across the country.

All states are part of the phase 1 census process and which starting from the April 1st to September 30th. States will complete the 1st phase exercise in this given window.

This couple of months longs schedule will ensures the better resource management and the efficient data collection across nation.

Phase 2: Population Enumeration in 2027

On the other side the second phase of Census 2027 will be known as Population Enumeration (PE). And it will take place in the month of February 2027.

In the 2nd phase it will collect the detailed data at the individual level such as,

• Demographics (age, gender and marital status)
• Education and occupation
• Pattern related to Migration
• Fertility and socio-economic indicators

Also the caste enumeration will take place during this phase. With this it is also making the significant exercise for the policy planning and various social justice initiatives.

What Makes Census 2027 Unique? Key Innovations

The Census 2027 marks the major transformation in India’s data collection system.

First of all the Digital-First Approach in which the enumerators will use the mobile applications instead of paper forms.

Also the data will be uploaded in real-time and will reducing the errors.

On the Self-Enumeration Portal the citizens can fill their details online in 16 languages when they want to do.

These type of innovations are aim to make the census more reliable and the user friendly.

Phase – 1 Schedule For the States Date

State/UT	Self-Enumeration Period	Houselisting & Housing Census Period
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi (NDMC & Cantonment), Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim	1 Apr -15 Apr	16 Apr – 15 May
Gujarat*, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu	5 Apr – 19 Apr	20 Apr – 19 May
Uttarakhand	10 Apr – 24 Apr	25 Apr – 24 May
Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana	1 May – 30 May	16 Apr – 30 Apr
Bihar	17 Apr – 1 May	2 May – 31 May
Telangana	26 Apr – 10 May	11 May – 9 Jun
Punjab	30 Apr – 14 May	15 May – 13 Jun
Delhi (MCD), Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Jharkhand	1 May – 15 May	16 May – 14 Jun
Uttar Pradesh	7 May – 21 May	22 May – 20 Jun
Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Puducherry	17 May – 31 May	1 Jun – 30 Jun
Himachal Pradesh	1 Jun – 15 Jun	16 Jun – 15 Jul
Kerala, Nagaland	16 Jun – 30 Jun	1 Jul – 30 Jul
Tamil Nadu, Tripura	17 Jul – 31 Jul	1 Aug – 30 Aug
Assam	2 Aug – 16 Aug	17 Aug – 15 Sep
Manipur	17 Aug – 31 Aug	1 Sep – 30 Sep
West Bengal	To be decided	To be decided