Lucknow: Nearly 40 lakh households have opted for the self-enumeration process of Census 2027 in Uttar Pradesh, a digital feature introduced for the first time in India's census exercise. Sheetal Verma, director of census operations and director of citizen registration in the state, shared details of the ongoing process, noting that the response has been particularly strong in several districts despite some apprehensions in urban areas.
Digital Census for the First Time
Verma stated that Uttar Pradesh had approximately five crore households during the last census, and the state administration is aiming to ensure complete geographical and population coverage in the upcoming enumeration. "This is not just a headcount. Census is one of the biggest demographic exercises and it is happening digitally for the first time," she said.
Phase One: House Listing Operations
The first phase of Census 2027, known as house listing operations, is being conducted from May 22 to June 20 in Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of this, a self-enumeration window was opened from May 7 to 21, allowing citizens to fill in their household details online before an enumerator visits them physically. Under the self-enumeration process, residents can answer 34 questions related to housing conditions and basic amenities through an online platform. An 11-digit alphanumeric ID is generated after submission, which can later be verified by enumerators during field visits.
Strong Response in Rural Districts
Verma highlighted that districts such as Auraiya, Sonbhadra, Moradabad, and Pilibhit have shown excellent response to the digital initiative, with nearly half the households in some areas opting for self-enumeration. However, participation has remained comparatively lower in NCR-linked urban districts, where residents are often unavailable during visits or remain apprehensive about sharing information.
Privacy and Data Security Assurances
Addressing concerns around privacy and data security, Verma emphasized that census information is protected under the Census Act and individual-level data is never shared, even between government departments. "We can provide statistical numbers but not household-specific details. Even government agencies cannot access personal census information," she said.
Massive Workforce and Digital Training
The census exercise in Uttar Pradesh will involve around 5.5 lakh personnel, including enumerators and supervisors, all trained through a multilevel digital training system. Data collection will now happen through an offline mobile application, enabling real-time processing once synced with central servers.
Second Phase Scheduled for February 2027
The second phase of Census 2027, involving individual population enumeration and caste data collection, is scheduled for February 2027.
