NEW DELHI: As many as 23 states and Union territories have completed the houselisting operations (HLO), the first phase of Census 2027, while eight states and UTs are currently in the midst of it. On Tuesday, Himachal Pradesh became the latest state to start HLO field operations, while Kerala and Nagaland opened their self-enumeration window.
Himachal Pradesh, where self-enumeration had closed on Monday, will witness house-to-house visits by enumerators until July 15, 2026. The self-enumeration period in Kerala and Nagaland will last until June 30, followed by a month-long field enumeration until July 30. House-to-house field operations are currently also underway in Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Puducherry, and Uttar Pradesh.
Residents who self-enumerate are required to share their self-enumeration ID (SE ID) with the enumerator during the field visit to complete the HLO process. Households that have not opted for self-enumeration will be covered during physical house-to-house visits by the enumerators.
HLO for Census 2027 was completed on Sunday in Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, as well as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) area in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Punjab concluded it a day earlier on June 13, 2026. So far, 23 states and UTs have completed the first phase: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, and Uttarakhand.
Census 2027 is being conducted using digital tools for the first time, with data collection through a dedicated mobile application while retaining the traditional door-to-door enumeration process to ensure comprehensive and accurate coverage. As reported by TOI on Tuesday, the percentage of those who have self-enumerated is very low, with even metros like Delhi recording only a 3% self-enumeration component.
The HLO phase of the Census records information relating to housing conditions, household details, amenities available, and assets possessed by households through a structured questionnaire comprising 33 notified questions. All information collected under the Census Act, 1948, remains strictly confidential and is used solely for statistical purposes and development planning.
"Residents in the notified states and Union territories are requested to actively participate in the Census process and extend full cooperation to enumerators during field visits," the home ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
