India set for Digital Census in 2027, Enumerators to collect Data using their own smartphone

Why in News

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that the 2027 Census will be India's first fully digital exercise, where nearly 34 lakh enumerators will use their own smartphones and dedicated mobile apps to collect data, replacing traditional paper-based methods. This move aims to ensure real-time data processing, faster publication, and enhanced accuracy for policy-making. The announcement comes amid preparations for the census, delayed from 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and includes new features like self-enumeration and caste data collection to support welfare schemes and delimitation of constituencies.

Key Points

1. The 2027 Census, the 16th decennial census, will be conducted in two phases: houselisting operations from April to September 2026, followed by population enumeration in February 2027, with exceptions for snowy regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand starting in September 2026.
2. Enumerators and supervisors will use their personal smartphones with mobile apps available in English, Hindi, and regional languages on Android and iOS platforms to collect and upload data directly to central servers.
3. A self-enumeration portal will allow citizens to fill in their details online using their mobile numbers, eliminating the need for physical visits in some cases.
4. For the first time since 1931, the census will include detailed caste enumeration beyond Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), collecting data on Other Backward Classes (OBC) and others to inform affirmative action policies.
5. All buildings, residential and non-residential, will be geo-tagged using Digital Layout Mapping (DLM) to assign unique latitude-longitude coordinates, aiding urban planning and disaster management.
6. The budget allocation sought for the census is Rs 14,618.95 crore, covering app development, training, and operations.
7. Two dedicated mobile apps—Census 2021-Household and PE-Census 2021 (Population Enumeration)—along with the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal, will facilitate real-time monitoring, data entry, and auto-generation of records.
8. The census will collect data through 31 questions in houselisting (e.g., housing materials, amenities like water and electricity) and detailed individual particulars in population enumeration (e.g., age, gender, education, migration, economic activity).
9. Paper schedules will serve as a backup, but all data must be digitized at the enumerator level for timely availability, unlike previous censuses where processing took years.
10. The exercise will impact delimitation of Lok Sabha seats for the 2029 elections and women's reservation in Parliament, based on updated population data.

Explained

Political and Economic Context

The 2027 Census is crucial amid India's growing population and urbanization challenges, providing updated data for equitable resource allocation under schemes like the National Food Security Act and MGNREGA. Politically, it will form the basis for delimiting parliamentary constituencies post-2026, potentially shifting power from southern states (with lower population growth) to northern ones, sparking debates on federal balance. Economically, with India's GDP at approximately Rs 300 lakh crore in FY 2024-25, accurate census data will help target subsidies, track poverty (estimated at 5-7% by NITI Aayog), and plan infrastructure. The digital shift addresses delays in the 2021 census, ensuring timely data for schemes amid global events like the pandemic, which highlighted data gaps in welfare distribution.

India Census Background

The Census of India began under British rule with the first synchronous census in 1881, covering population, caste, religion, and occupations. Post-independence, it has been conducted every decade under the Census Act, 1948, by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. Key milestones include the 1951 census (first after independence, population: 361 million), 1961 (439 million), 1971 (548 million), 1981 (683 million), 1991 (846 million), 2001 (1.028 billion), and 2011 (1.210 billion, with literacy at 74% and sex ratio at 943 females per 1,000 males). The 2011 census cost Rs 2,200 crore and involved 27 lakh enumerators. Historically, censuses have influenced policies like reservations and family planning, but the 2021 delay due to COVID-19 has forced reliance on outdated 2011 data, affecting schemes like PDS (serving 81 crore beneficiaries) and delaying updates on migration (over 450 million internal migrants as per 2011 data).

Digital Innovations in Census 2027

The 2027 Census introduces digital tools to overcome past inefficiencies, where manual processing delayed 2011 results by years. Mobile apps like Census 2021-Household (for houselisting) and PE-Census 2021 (for population data) enable real-time entry, with over 50,000 downloads reported. The CMMS portal monitors progress, training, and fieldwork. Self-enumeration via a web portal reduces enumerator workload, while geo-tagging integrates with GIS for precise mapping. This contrasts with the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census, which used provided tablets; now, personal smartphones cut costs. Data security is ensured through government servers, and multilingual support (16 languages) promotes inclusivity. These innovations aim to release provisional results within months, aiding quick policy adjustments in areas like health (e.g., tracking vaccination coverage) and education (literacy rates).

Progress and Timeline

Preparations include redeveloping apps from the 2021 framework and training enumerators (mostly teachers). The houselisting phase (April-September 2026) will geo-tag 33 crore households, while population enumeration (February 2027) targets 1.4 billion people. Delays from 2020 stemmed from the pandemic and NPR linkage controversies, with administrative boundaries frozen till June 2024. Success depends on connectivity in rural areas (70% smartphone penetration as per 2023 data) and addressing privacy concerns under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

Strategic Importance

Beyond demographics, the census supports India's Viksit Bharat@2047 vision by providing data for sustainable development goals, like reducing inequality (Gini coefficient: 0.35 in 2022). Caste data could refine OBC reservations (27% quota), impacting over 50% of the population. Geo-tagging enhances disaster response, as seen in recent floods affecting 2 crore people annually. Internationally, it aligns with UN standards for population data, aiding global comparisons (India projected to remain most populous till 2100 per UN estimates). For India, it diversifies from outdated data, strengthening federalism and economic planning amid challenges like unemployment (6.5% in 2024).

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