CS Rastogi Chairs One-Day Conference on Preparations for Census-2027
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh –
Large-scale preparations have begun in Haryana for Census-2027. To ensure the successful and time-bound conduct of the Census, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi today virtually addressed a one-day conference of Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Corporation Commissioners. He stated that the Census is not merely a statistical exercise, but the foundation for policies, welfare schemes and infrastructure development for the coming decade. It is also a test of the State’s administrative and technical efficiency, as well as its coordination capabilities.
He said the objective of the conference was to sensitize senior officers and Principal Census Officers about the methodology and procedures of the Census and to clarify their roles and responsibilities. The Chief Secretary emphasized that Census data is extremely crucial for policy formulation and development planning. The data from the 2011 Census helped identify districts with a low child sex ratio in the State, enabling targeted interventions through the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme.
Anurag Rastogi said that Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Corporation Commissioners have a vital role in the Census process. Ensuring compliance with Central Government guidelines, appointment and training of enumerators and supervisors, complete district coverage, and timely completion of work are their responsibilities. Divisional Commissioners have been directed to regularly review progress in the districts under their jurisdiction and ensure time-bound implementation.
Financial Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Dr. Sumita Misra, instructed officers to ensure that there is no scope for error or negligence in the Census process. She stressed the importance of proper training and sensitization of officials and staff and directed that funds allocated for Census activities be utilized judiciously.
She informed that for the first time in the country, the Census will be conducted fully in digital mode. In the first phase, “House Listing and Housing Census” will be conducted from May 1 to May 30, 2026. Since the formation of the State in 1966, this will be the sixth Census for Haryana. Departing from the traditional process, citizens will also be given the option of self-enumeration, for which an online portal will be launched on April 16, 2026.
Dr. Misra said citizens will be able to fill in their details online in advance. After submission of information, they will receive a unique Self-Enumeration ID via SMS and email. When the enumerator visits, he or she will only verify the pre-filled information, thereby saving time and improving data quality.
Director of Census Operations, Haryana, Lalit Jain informed that approximately 50,000 House Listing Blocks will be covered under 203 rural and urban charges in the upcoming Census. For this extensive exercise, more than 50,000 enumerators and over 8,000 supervisors will be deployed. A phased training system involving master trainers and field trainers will be adopted. To ensure commitment and continuity, the government has decided to provide an honorarium of ₹25,000 upon successful completion of both phases of Census work.
He further informed that enumerators will use a dedicated House Listing Operation mobile application, which will be installed on their registered personal mobile devices. The application will function in offline mode as well, ensuring that Census work is not disrupted in remote and network-deficient areas. Data will automatically synchronize once network connectivity is available. The mobile application will be available on both Android and iOS platforms, with specified minimum operating system, RAM and storage requirements. Real-time monitoring and technology-enabled dashboards will ensure continuous supervision of progress at every level.
It was also informed that to address challenges during the Census, a District Census Coordination Committee will be constituted in each district. Coordination will be ensured among departments such as Revenue, Education, Police, Health, Panchayati Raj, Information Technology and Information and Public Relations. A comprehensive public awareness campaign will also be launched to build public trust and cooperation. Officials clarified that personal information collected during the Census will remain strictly confidential and will not be used for any other purpose.
During the conference, a specially prepared ragini titled “Janaganana Buniyad Desh Ki, Loktantra Ki Hai Pehchan” was also presented.