First phase of Census to begin on April 1, no documents needed for process, govt says

The government on Monday announced that the first phase of the India Census will begin from April 1, 2026, and that citizens need to provide any documents during the upcoming Census. Centre has also introduced an option of self-enumeration where people can digitally submit information during the 15-day window preceding the first phase of Census Houselisting and Housing Census.

The government also notified that data centres have been declared as 'Critical Information Infrastructure' to ensure data security during the Census.

Also read: Government releases 33 FAQs for first phase of Census




"No documents are needed to be provided during the Census...This time, through self-enumeration, people can digitally enter their own information. There will be a 15-day period before the house-to-house activity begins in a state or union territory, during which households can submit their information themselves," said Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan.

He clarified that the option of self-enumeration is available only for people residing in the country.

Addressing a press conference on Population Enumeration under India's eighth Census after independence, the RGI informed that the preparations for the Census have now reached an advanced stage, and within just a few days, fieldwork for the first phase - Houselisting and Housing Census - is set to commence in several states.

The Census is conducted in two phases, he said, this time, data collection is to be carried out through digital mediums. The collected data will be collected through the Mobile App, and a web-based portal will monitor and manage various activities of Census and House Listing block creation will be done through a web mapping application.

He reaffirmed that the individual data collected during the Census is confidential, and the same cannot be shared under RTI, before Courts as evidence or with any other organisation.

"The Census Act contains a significant provision—Section 15—under which personal information provided is treated as strictly confidential. It cannot be made public under the RTI Act, used as evidence in any court of law, or shared with any institution," Narayan said.

The government will publish the majority of the Census data in 2027. Around 31 lakh enumerators will collect information during the Census.

Narayan informed that the reference time is March 1 midnight between February 28, 2027 and March 1, 2027.

"This reference date was mentioned in the first notification issued on June 16, 2025, announcing the intention to conduct the census. Because of this reference date, it is called Census 2027," he clarified.

The outcome of Census 2027 will provide a snapshot of the population and various data for every administrative unit, state, district, village, and ward, as it stands at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027. "Hence, this reference date is very important," the RGI said.

The government will issue the notification for the second phase questions in due course after finalising them, likely in the coming months.

Census 2027 will also include caste enumeration, so related questions will be included in the second phase, Narayan said, citing the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.

Census 2027 Phase 1

The first phase, House Listing and Housing Census, also known as HLO will be conducted during six months from April to September, 2026 in a period of 30 days as per the convenience of the State/UT Governments along with option of Self-enumeration of 15 days period just before the 30 days period of house-to-house houselisting work.

In this phase, information about condition of houses, amenities available to the household and assets possessed by the household will be collected.

Census 2027 Phase 2

The second phase of Census 2027, Population Enumeration (PE), will be conducted during February 2027. However, in Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Phase II will be conducted during September 2026.

The second phase would involve caste enumeration too, along with collection of information on demographic, socio-economic, education, migration, fertility etc. The exact dates of the Population Enumeration and question to be covered in this Phase has not been notififed yet.

The Government has approved an outlay of Rs 11,718.24 crore for Census 2027, making adequate provisions for payment of honorarium and training to Census functionaries, IT infrastructures, logistics, etc.

State & UT-wise Houselisting and Housing Census and Self-Enumeration (SE) Period

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

Gujarat dates are subject to change. Jharkhand HLO notification yet to be issued