Gujarat will officially begin the first phase of the nationwide Population Census-2027 from June 1, marking the launch of India’s first-ever fully digital census exercise. Conducted under the theme “People’s Welfare Through Census,” the operation will be the country’s 16th Census overall and the eighth after Independence.
According to Census Director Sujal J. Mayatra, the first phase — known as the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO) — will continue till June 30, 2026. During this period, enumerators will visit households across Gujarat to collect information related to housing conditions, ownership status, drinking water facilities, sanitation, electricity access, cooking fuel, household assets and other socio-economic indicators through a questionnaire containing 33 questions.
The second phase of the census, which will include Population Enumeration and Caste Enumeration, is scheduled to be conducted between February 9 and February 28, 2027. Along with demographic information such as age, gender, education, occupation and migration details, caste-related data will also be collected during this phase across the country.
Ahead of the field survey, Gujarat witnessed strong participation in the self-enumeration campaign launched on May 17, 2026. Citizens were given the option to fill and submit census details online through the official portal before the physical verification process began. According to official figures, more than 3.74 lakh citizens registered for self-enumeration, out of which nearly 3.30 lakh submissions have already been completed while around 44,000 applications remain under process.
Several prominent personalities, including Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, senior bureaucrats, district collectors and municipal commissioners, also participated in the self-enumeration initiative.
Officials said the census operation will cover every district, municipal corporation, municipality and village across Gujarat. The massive exercise will involve more than 1.09 lakh enumerators and over 18,000 supervisors working across 1.10 lakh House Listing Blocks. Authorities have already completed multiple rounds of training programmes for census staff to ensure smooth implementation of the exercise.
For the first time in India’s census history, data collection will take place entirely through digital platforms. Dedicated Android and iOS applications with offline data collection capability have been developed for the exercise. The applications support 16 languages, including Gujarati, enabling enumerators to conduct surveys even in low-connectivity areas.
Officials have emphasized that all information collected during the census will remain strictly confidential under the Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990. Authorities clarified that the data cannot be used for taxation, legal proceedings or any purpose unrelated to the census.
The government has also reminded citizens that furnishing accurate information during the census is mandatory under law. Officials have appealed to residents across Gujarat to cooperate fully with census teams and actively participate in the exercise, saying accurate population data remains crucial for welfare planning, infrastructure development and future policy decisions.
Also Read: Congress Pitches Gujarat-Specific Vision: Vows Caste Census, Tribal Rights, And Social Justice https://www.vibesofindia.com/congress-pitches-gujarat-specific-vision-vows-caste-census-tribal-rights-and-social-justice/
