New Delhi, March 30 (NationPress) The Registrar General of India (RGI) revealed on Monday that the groundwork for the forthcoming Census is currently at an advanced level, with the initial phase known as the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) scheduled to kick off in several states starting in April.

During a press briefing at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan stated that Census-2027 will unfold in two main phases: House Listing (HLO) and Population Enumeration (PE), with March 1, 2027, designated as the reference date.

In regions affected by snow, including Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be set for October 1, 2026.

He emphasized the importance of the reference date, explaining that it serves as a “snapshot” in time, ensuring the collection of consistent and dependable demographic and socio-economic data nationwide.

“The Census Reference Day is essential because it acts as a ‘snapshot’ in time, providing a uniform point of reference for capturing accurate demographic and socio-economic data across a vast and diverse population, thereby ensuring data consistency and validity,” Narayan remarked.

Focusing on legal protections, Narayan stated, “The Census Act incorporates a significant provision, Section 15, which asserts that personal information provided is to be treated as strictly confidential. It cannot be revealed under the RTI Act, utilized as evidence in court, or shared with any other entities.”

He further noted that the participation of states and union territories is vital to this undertaking.

“States and union territories play a crucial role in this project; their entire administrative framework is mobilized to execute the fieldwork at the grassroots level. The previous Census was conducted in 2011,” he stated.

The Census Commissioner outlined that the process will consist of two phases: HLO and PE.

“Preparations for the Census are now significantly advanced, and within a few days, the fieldwork for the initial phase—Houselisting and Housing Census—will commence in several states,” he added.

The HLO will entail cataloging all buildings and structures, along with collecting data on housing conditions, facilities, and assets. This phase will also involve geo-tagging buildings and assigning a unique identification number to every structure.

This phase is slated for execution between April and September 2026.

Narayan indicated that the implementation of a digital system will empower citizens to self-enumerate by entering their details directly, thereby decreasing reliance on enumerators and streamlining the process.

He mentioned that this self-enumeration opportunity will be available for a 15-day period preceding the 30-day houselisting operations.

Outlining a timeline, he indicated that 11 states and union territories will initiate the HLO process in April 2026, nine in May, three in June, two in July, and two in August.

The second phase, Population Enumeration, will concentrate on gathering individual-level information, including age, gender, occupation, literacy, and caste data.

Narayan also informed that the Union Cabinet had authorized a budget of Rs 11,718.24 crore for the Census in December 2025. Administrative boundaries were fixed as of January 1, 2026, and a pre-test for the initial phase was conducted across all states and union territories in November of the previous year.

He mentioned that more than 80,000 training batches of enumerators have been organized nationwide for both phases of the Census.

Emphasizing data protection, Narayan stated that robust measures have been established to ensure comprehensive security throughout the entire process, adding that the data centers involved have been classified as Critical Information Infrastructure.