On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a detailed review meeting in New Delhi on the preparations for India’s next Census — the country’s largest population survey. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) then announced that a formal notification to launch the process will be brought out in the official gazette on June 16.
The 16th Census has been delayed substantially, mainly owing to the pandemic; however, this version will be quite different from its predecessors. For the very first time, the process will be carried out electronically with the help of mobile apps, and people will also be able to input their details online through a Self Enumeration (SE) portal.
Authorities have said the entire data collection process will be completed by March 1, 2027, but the aggregation and release of the final reports could take two to three years. Significantly, the forthcoming Census will also include caste enumeration, making it one of the most important surveys in the last few decades.
The Census will be conducted in two separate phases. The first phase, also termed the House-listing Operation (HLO), will be where enumerators will collect data about living conditions, facilities, and household possessions. The second phase, Population Enumeration (PE), will focus on every person, including demographic, cultural, social, and economic details.
For this purpose, around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and 1.3 lakh extra census staff will be employed across the country.
The ORGI has already created the SE portal. With the help of pre-populated information that can be derived from the government and a one-time password (OTP) sent to the registered mobile number of the household, families will be able to log in and fill out their details.
One official clarified, “Respondents will be able to edit family information, insert new members, or specify members who have moved or died.” Yet, the portal will be shut a few days before the actual start of the Census to prevent any last-minute confusion.
