55,000 households use Census self-enumeration portal on day one

Around 55,000 households used the self-enumeration portal on the first day of the Population Census 2027 website that went live in eight States and Union Territories, the Union Home Ministry said on Wednesday (April 1, 2026). The online details will, however, be verified by enumerators during door-to-door survey 15 days later.

Among the first to fill in the details of 33 questions being asked in the first phase– the House Listing Operations and Housing Census (HLO) – were President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

In the first phase of the rollout, self-enumeration began in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area and Delhi Cantonment Board areas of Delhi.

One mobile phone number can be used to register only one household.

The portal opens 15 days prior to the commencement of the HLO phase and in these eight States and UTs, the first phase will commence on April 16 and continue till May 15. This is the first digital Census, first to enumerate caste and the first to allow self-enumeration.

The last Census exercise took place in 2011.

All other States will have to complete the first-phase enumeration by September 30, whereas in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, both the phases are to completed by September 30. The second phase of population enumeration – where each individual’s information in the household, such as religion, caste etc. will be asked – is to be conducted in February 2027 for the remaining States.

“The self-enumeration exercise is a secure, web-based facility available in 16 regional languages. For the first time, respondents can fill in their details online at their convenience before the enumerator’s visit. Enumerators will carry out door-to-door visits in all allocated houselisitng blocks as in previous Censuses, while Self-Enumeration serves as an additional facility. To participate in Self-Enumeration, respondents can log in to the portal se.census.gov.in using their mobile number and basic credentials. Upon successful submission, a unique Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) is generated, which will be shared with the enumerator during the subsequent field visit for confirmation,” the Ministry said.

In the first phase, comprehensive information on the condition of housing, household amenities and assets possessed will be collected. A total of 33 questions for Phase I have been notified in January 2026 to capture these critical indicators, which serve as the foundation for evidence-based planning, policy formulation, and targeted welfare interventions.

Data collected under the Census Act, 1948, are strictly confidential. The digital tools utilised for Census 2027 are equipped with robust encryption and multi-factor authentication to ensure the highest standards of data security, the Ministry said. The people are encouraged to actively participate in the Census process, either through self-enumeration or by extending full cooperation to enumerators during their visit, it added.