The first phase of Census 2027 has officially begun in Delhi with house listing and housing census operations starting across the national capital after the self-enumeration window closed this week. Officials from the Registrar General and Census Commissioner’s office said enumerators have now started door-to-door data collection to record details of households, buildings and living conditions.
The self-enumeration facility, introduced as part of the Centre’s digital census initiative, allowed residents to submit basic household information online before physical verification. Authorities said the online participation rate in Delhi was encouraging, especially among urban and digitally connected families, though many households still preferred the traditional in-person process.
Under the house listing phase, census officials will collect information related to the condition of houses, availability of water, electricity, sanitation facilities, internet access, cooking fuel, number of rooms and ownership details. The process also identifies commercial establishments, vacant structures and temporary settlements. Officials said the data would help the government design welfare schemes, urban infrastructure plans and housing policies more effectively.
Enumerators have been equipped with digital tablets for real-time data entry, replacing large parts of the earlier paper-based system. Senior officials said the digital format is expected to reduce errors and speed up data processing. Training sessions for census workers were completed earlier this month across several districts in Delhi.
Security and privacy measures have also been strengthened following concerns over digital data handling. Officials clarified that personal information collected during the census would remain confidential under the provisions of the Census Act and cannot be used for taxation, policing or other investigative purposes.
The nationwide Census 2027 exercise is considered one of the largest administrative operations in the world. Apart from demographic information, the census is expected to play a major role in future policy planning, parliamentary constituency delimitation and allocation of welfare resources. The population enumeration phase is expected to begin next year after completion of the house listing process.
Authorities in Delhi have appealed to residents to cooperate with enumerators and ensure accurate information is provided. Officials said special teams have also been formed to cover slum areas, homeless populations and migrant settlements to ensure broader inclusion in the exercise.
