 "Census officials collect details from village women during first phase of the census at Hatkhuwapara Village, near the northeastern Indian city of Guwahati April 1, 2010 for the 2011 census. (Photo: Reuters)")
Incorporating caste in the census is not the only new aspect of next year’s population tally. The use of technology is expected to make the 2027 census more efficient, with the government introducing a “digital” mode, which will capture and process data quickly.
Government sources have told the Times of India that, unlike the last census of 2011, where the final population count was published after years of painstaking data collection and collation, the next census would be released in just nine months with the help of digitisation of the exercise.
How will data be collected?
The upcoming census will be conducted in two phases – the house listing phase will begin in 2026, while the population enumeration phase will begin in February 2027.
In a first, the Census will go digital, with data gathered via mobile apps supporting 16 languages, including Hindi, English, and 14 regional tongues.
The apps are built to be intuitive for both field workers and the public, who will, for the first time, have the option to fill in their own information through self-enumeration.
Enumerators will break away from the tradition of carrying bulky papers to conduct home-to-home surveys.
How will digitisation help?
Census schedules will primarily feature pre-coded responses, with mobile apps offering dropdown menus for easy data entry. These apps include a “fetch” function that allows access to pre-filled household records, which can be reviewed and edited as needed.
By streamlining tasks such as creating summaries and avoiding data duplication, the apps significantly reduce manual workload. Combined with intelligent character recognition (ICR) for processing unstructured data, the system enables immediate readiness for analysis without the logistical challenges of handling physical forms.
Impact Shorts
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