Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday, April 27, formally participated in the Census 2027 self-enumeration exercise, registering his household details through the official government portal www.se.census.gov.in — marking the launch of what will be India's first fully digital Census. The initiative also holds special significance as it is Telangana's first Census as an independent state, and will include caste enumeration for the first time.

Self-Enumeration Phase Kicks Off in Hyderabad's Core Urban Region

The self-enumeration phase of Census 2027 commenced on Sunday across Telangana's Core Urban Region (CURE) and will remain open until May 10, 2025. The coverage area has been designated as a single census unit comprising three major municipal bodies: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Cyberabad Municipal Corporation, and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation.

Residents within this urban belt can voluntarily submit their household information online through the official portal. The process is designed to be accessible — no documents are required, login is available daily between 6 a.m. and 12 midnight, and the entire exercise is estimated to take just 15 to 20 minutes.

Upon successful submission, each household will receive a unique Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID), which must be presented to enumerators during subsequent door-to-door verification visits scheduled from May 11 to June 9 under the House Listing Operation (HLO).

What the Government and Officials Said

Director of Census Operations for Telangana, Bharathi Hollikeri, briefed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on the procedures and broader significance of self-enumeration during the launch event. She confirmed that the online portal contains 33 structured questions covering housing conditions, household amenities, and asset ownership.

A dedicated toll-free helpline — 1855 — has been activated to assist residents, operational from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily during the enumeration phase. Senior officials present at the launch included GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan, Joint Principal Census Officer Priyanka Ala, and Information and Public Relations Commissioner Chekka Priyanka.

GHMC Launches 15-Day Awareness Campaign

GHMC has announced a dedicated public outreach initiative titled Self Enumeration Mahotsav — 15 Days, themed around the message Do it Yourself — No Waiting for Enumerator. The campaign aims to drive voluntary participation and reduce the burden on field enumerators during the subsequent door-to-door phase.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy urged all Telangana residents to proactively participate in the census process, stressing that public participation is essential for accurate data collection, which directly informs government planning, infrastructure development, and welfare scheme targeting.

Why Census 2027 Is Historically Significant for Telangana

This Census carries layered significance. India's last Census was conducted in 2011 — making the upcoming 2027 exercise a 16-year gap, the longest in independent India's history. The 2021 Census was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving critical national data outdated across sectors including health, education, housing, and labour.

For Telangana, which was carved out of undivided Andhra Pradesh in June 2014, this marks the first Census as a standalone state — meaning it will produce the first independent demographic baseline for the state. This data will be pivotal in determining Telangana's share in central government fund allocations, delimitation of constituencies, and targeted welfare delivery.

The inclusion of caste enumeration in Census 2027 is politically and socially significant. Caste-based data has not been officially published since the 1931 British-era Census, and its inclusion has been a long-standing demand from OBC communities, political parties, and social justice advocates across India.

Impact on Citizens and What Comes Next

For residents of Greater Hyderabad, the self-enumeration window represents a direct opportunity to shape how their community is counted and resourced. Accurate census data determines the allocation of funds under schemes such as urban housing grants, smart city investments, and public health infrastructure.

After the online self-enumeration phase closes on May 10, field enumerators will conduct the House Listing Operation (HLO) from May 11 to June 9, which will include door-to-door visits and physical wall markings — a traditional census practice now complemented by digital verification through the SE ID system.

With India's first fully digital Census now formally underway in Hyderabad, the success of the self-enumeration model in the city's core urban region will likely set the benchmark for its rollout across the rest of the country in the coming months.