Chandigarh, February 19 – Haryana will begin the first phase of the 2027 Census, India's first fully digital population count, from May 1 to 30.
During a one-day virtual conference of Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, and Municipal Commissioners, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi described the Census as far more than a statistical exercise, calling it the foundation for policy decisions, welfare programs, and infrastructure planning for the next decade.
He said the objective of the conference was to educate administrative heads and Principal Census Officers about procedures, responsibilities, and timelines.
He emphasized that the success of the Census would reflect the state's administrative efficiency, technological readiness, and coordination capabilities.
Rastogi highlighted that Census data plays a crucial role in evidence-based policymaking. He cited the 2011 Census, whose findings helped identify districts with adverse child sex ratios and enabled targeted interventions under the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' program.
He said that the Deputy Commissioners and the Municipal Commissioners would play a pivotal role in ensuring full coverage, appointment and training of enumerators and supervisors, and adherence to Central government guidelines within the prescribed timelines.
The Divisional Commissioners have been asked to conduct regular reviews of districts under their jurisdiction.
Financial Commissioner (Revenue and Disaster Management) Sumita Misra directed officers to ensure that there is no scope for error or negligence at any stage. She emphasized proper utilization of funds and comprehensive training of field staff.
The first phase – House Listing and Housing Census – will be conducted from May 1 to 30. For the first time, citizens will be able to opt for self-enumeration through an online portal starting April 16.
Upon submission, a unique self-enumeration ID will be sent via SMS and email for verification by field staff. Director (Census Operations) Lalit Jain informed that around 50,000 house listing blocks across 203 rural and urban areas will be covered, with the deployment of over 50,000 enumerators and 8,000 supervisors.
A special mobile application, capable of functioning in offline mode, will be used for data collection, supported by real-time monitoring dashboards.
District-level coordination committees will be constituted to ensure inter-departmental cooperation, while public awareness campaigns will be launched to build trust and encourage participation. Officials reiterated that all personal data collected during the census would remain strictly confidential.