THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Gone are the days when households had to sit and wait for an enumerator’s knock on the door. With Census 2027, India’s first digital Census, citizens can now self-enumerate online, marking a major shift in the way the country conducts the population count.
With Kerala being one of the most digitally literate states, officials expect a sizeable number of households with internet access and basic digital skills to opt for self-enumeration. The facility, introduced to make the process faster, more efficient and accessible, will remain open till June 30. It is not mandatory.
So, how does it work? The respondent, ideally the head of the household, enters the particulars on behalf of the family on the portal https://se.census.gov.in. Any other member of the household can also do so on behalf of the family head.
Census 2027 is being conducted in two phases. Phase I consists of the House Listing and Housing Census, also known as House Listing Operations, which will take place in Kerala from July 1 to July 30. Phase II, which includes Population Enumeration, will be held in February 2027. At present, respondents need to fill in details relating to House Listing Operations only.
The particulars sought at this stage include the number of married couples in the household, the gender of the head of the household, materials used for flooring and roofing, cereal consumption, access to basic amenities and vehicle ownership, among others.
“House Listing Operations is the first phase of the Census and is conducted prior to population enumeration. It involves a complete listing of all buildings, census houses and households in the country,” explained Mithra T, Director of Census Operations, Kerala.
She said the purpose is to collect baseline information on housing conditions and amenities that are useful for policy planning.
Get started
Respondents first have to select a state in the portal and then proceed. Then, they have to provide the name of the head of the household and a mobile number. Providing email ID is optional. After OTP verification, the respondent can choose any of the 16 available languages, including Malayalam. The name of the family head and language selected cannot be changed after registration using the mobile number.
This is followed by options to select the district and PIN code, along with details of the village, town, locality and landmark. A map allows respondents to mark the exact location of their house.
“Locating the residential building on the map will help in assigning the self enumeration data to the respective houselisting block for confirmation by the enumerator during the house to house visit,” Mithra said. Respondents can move a red location marker to identify their house or a location very close to it. However, identifying the exact location of the house on the map is not mandatory; marking a nearby landmark would suffice.
The list of 33 questions, along with options to reply, will then appear. After selecting the appropriate responses and confirming the submission, the respondent will receive a Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) through SMS and email (if the latter was provided).
“The SE ID has to be shared with the visiting enumerator to facilitate completion of the House Listing Operations for the household,” Mithra said.
Census officials said the advantage of self-enumeration is that, since the particulars are already filled in by the respondent, the enumerator only needs to verify the information. The facility makes the process more convenient for both the respondent and enumerator, besides helping speed up the exercise.
Confidentiality and participation
Confidentiality of the information provided is guaranteed under Section 15 of the Census Act, 1948. Individual details furnished by respondents will not be shared with anyone. Only aggregate data and summaries at various administrative levels, such as the state, district, sub-district and village or town, are published.
Participation in the Census is mandatory under the Census Act, 1948, and every household is required to provide accurate information. Under Section 8 of the Act, a respondent must answer Census questions truthfully to the best of his or her knowledge.
Not providing correct information or failing to cooperate with Census officials is an offence under the Census Act, 1948. Any person who refuses to answer any question can be punished with a fine of up to Rs 1,000.
Census in 2 phases
Phase I consists of the House Listing and Housing Census, also known as House Listing Operations, which will take place in Kerala from July 1 to July 30
Phase II, which includes Population Enumeration, will be held in February 2027
At present, respondents need to fill in details relating to House Listing Operations only
The 33 mandatory questions
Building number (municipal or local authority or Census number)
Census house number
Predominant material of floor of Census house
Predominant material of wall of Census house
Predominant material of roof of Census house
Use of Census house
Condition of Census house
Household number
Total number of persons normally residing in household
Name of head of household
Sex of head of household
Whether head of household belongs to SC/ST/Other
Ownership status
Number of dwelling rooms exclusively in possession of household
Number of married couple(s) living in household
Main source of drinking water
Availability of drinking water source
Main source of lighting
Access to latrine
Type of latrine
Waste water outlet
Availability of bathing facility
Availability of kitchen and LPG/PNG connection
Main fuel used for cooking
Radio/transistor
Television
Access to Internet
Laptop/computer
Telephone/mobile phone/smartphone
Bicycle/scooter/motorcycle/moped
Car/jeep/van
Main cereal consumed in the household
Mobile number (for Census-related communications only)