Census 2027 begins: Over 700 officials to conduct door-to-door survey, Delhi areas divided into blocks

OVer 700 trained personnel testament take up force field trading operations below the house-listing and housing census (HLO), wherein the enumerators will visit households to record their details under Phase-1 of the Census 2027, officials said on Wednesday. The exercise will be carried out over a 30-day period, until May 15.Officials said that areas under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) have been divided into 560 house-listing blocks, each comprising 180 households.Also read | Intersection between India’s democracy and demographyThe exercise will begin on Thursday in eight states and Union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Sikkim, as part of the nationwide census exercise, following the conclusion of a 15-day self-enumeration period in NDMC and DCB areas.“The self-enumeration exercise ended on Wednesday. So far, 12 lakh people have self-enumerated in the states and UTs where it started on April 1. In NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board areas, the figures have been on the lower side, with around 5,000 people completing the process,” a senior government official said.Self-Enumeration sees mixed responseThe self-enumeration facility will commence from May 1 in areas under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), while the house-listing exercise will be conducted from May 16.The self-enumeration facility was made available prior to the house-listing exercise to enable residents to submit their details online through a digital platform. During the field visits, enumerators will use a dedicated mobile application to collect data digitally to ensure higher accuracy and faster processing, officials said.As part of the exercise, enumerators will collect information relating to housing conditions, household details, amenities available and assets possessed by the households through a structured questionnaire comprising 33 notified questions.A second official said enumerators will proceed cautiously during the initial days of the house-listing exercise.“There is considerable anticipation around SIR (special intensive revision of election rolls) in Delhi, while many residents remain unaware that the first phase of the census has begun. Some may misconstrue enumerators’ visits as part of SIR preparations. Enumerators will therefore focus on putting people at ease and clearly explaining the process,” the official said.Residents who have completed the self-enumeration should keep their generated self-enumeration ID ready and share it with the enumerator during the field visit to complete the HLO process, a third official said.The official said that they have already held discussions with residents’ welfare associations (RWAs). “For areas that have a large working population, enumerators will visit households post 6pm. They will spend at least 10-15 minutes in each household,” the official said.