New Delhi: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah soft-launched four digital tools and formally unveiled the mascots – “Pragati” (female) and “Vikas” (male) for Census-2027 in New Delhi. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has developed advanced digital platforms to facilitate enumeration operations across the country. Several senior officials, including the Union Home Secretary and the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, were present on the occasion.
The Union government notified its intent to conduct Census 2027 through a Gazette Notification on June 16, 2025, formally commencing the Census process. Census-2027, to be conducted in 2 phases, is the world’s largest census exercise. For the first time, the Census will be conducted digitally, and for the first time, the option of Self-Enumeration will be available.
Mascots “Pragati” and “Vikas”
The mascots “Pragati” (female enumerator) and “Vikas” (male enumerator) were unveiled to serve as friendly, relatable faces of the Census-2027. These mascots also symbolise the equal participation of women and men in fulfilling the resolve to make India a developed nation by 2047. Through these mascots, information, objectives, and key messages related to Census 2027 will be disseminated in an effective and citizen-friendly manner across diverse sections of society.
Four Digital Tools
Census 2027 will be India’s first Census conducted using digital tools. The four digital platforms soft-launched by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah are:
Houselisting Block Creator (HLBC) Web Application: A web-map application that enables Charge Officers to digitally create Houselisting Blocks using satellite imagery, ensuring standardised geographic coverage across the country.
HLO Mobile Application: A secure offline mobile application for enumerators to collect and upload Houselisting data. Only enumerators registered on the CMMS Portal can access the application. The app enables direct field-to-server data transmission, eliminating traditional paperwork. All Houselisting data will be collected through this app, which can only be operated using registered mobile numbers. The application is compatible with Android and iOS platforms, and it can be operated in 16 regional languages.
Self-Enumeration (SE) Portal: For the first time, the option of Self-Enumeration is being introduced. The SE Portal is a secure web-based facility that allows eligible respondents within a household to submit their household information online prior to field operations. Upon successful submission, a unique Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) will be generated. This Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) will be shared with the enumerator, on the basis of which the enumerator will be able to verify the information.
Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) Portal: A centralised, web-based digital platform designed to plan, manage, execute, and monitor all census-related activities across administrative levels. Officers at Sub-district, District, and State levels can track enumeration progress, field performance, and operational readiness in real-time through an integrated dashboard.
Under the Census-2027, data will be collected using secure mobile applications by going door-to-door and complete coverage will be ensured. For this, more than 30 lakh enumerators, supervisors and other Census officials will be engaged across the country for Census-2027.
This calibrated adoption of technology combines innovation with inclusivity, ensuring that Census 2027 remains accurate, secure and comprehensive.
The Census-2027 exercise will be conducted in two phases:
Phase 1: Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO)
During Phase 1, data on housing conditions and household amenities will be collected, while Phase 2 will record demographic, social, and economic particulars of every person in the country.
Notification for Phase 1 was issued on 7th January 2026. The Houselisting and Housing Census will be conducted between 1st April 2026 and 30th September 2026, during a 30-day continuous period, notified by each State/Union Territory. An optional 15-day Self-Enumeration period will precede the house-to-house survey.
Phase 2: Population Enumeration (PE)
Population Enumeration will be conducted in February 2027 across India. For the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, enumeration will take place in September 2026. In the second phase of Census, caste-related questions will also be included.
The reference date for Census 2027 will be 00:00 hours of 1st March 2027 for all States and Union Territories, except for the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where the reference date will be 00:00 hours of 1st October 2026.
