The Census of India 2027, marking the country's first fully digital Census and the 16th since 1872, is set to begin its field operations for Phase I. The Houselisting and Housing Census will be conducted across Karnataka over a 30-day period from April 16 to May 15, 2026. This phase involves the identification and listing of all buildings and households, capturing crucial data on housing conditions, amenities, and assets to build a comprehensive framework for the subsequent population enumeration.

Prior to the commencement of field visits, a digital Self-Enumeration facility was made available to citizens from April 1 to April 15, 2026. As of 06:30 P.M. April 15, 4.8 percent of households have successfully completed the Self-Enumeration process. Starting April 16, duly trained Enumerators will conduct physical house-to-house visits. They will collect the required information from households that have not opted for Self-Enumeration using dedicated mobile applications, and will also verify the reference IDs of those who have already submitted their details online. All visiting Enumerators will carry valid identity cards and follow prescribed procedures to ensure authenticity and transparency.

Representing a significant technological leap in administrative exercises, Census 2027 integrates multiple digital innovations. These include the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) framework, a secure web portal for citizens, and real-time monitoring capabilities for supervisory officers. These measures, supported by multi-level verification from Supervisors and Charge Officers, are expected to significantly enhance data accuracy, transparency, and processing speed.

Census data serves as a critical foundation for evidence-based decision-making, enabling the planning and implementation of welfare schemes, infrastructure development, constituency delimitation, and broad policy formulation. Following the conclusion of Phase I, Phase II of the exercise, the Population Enumeration, is scheduled to be conducted in February 2027 to collect detailed demographic information on every individual.

The Government assures that all personal information collected during this exercise remains strictly confidential. The data is legally protected against disclosure and is used solely for statistical purposes under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, the Census Rules, 1990, and the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act.

Under Section 8 and Section 9 of the Census Act, 1948, every person is legally bound to provide accurate information to Census officials, and occupiers of premises are required to permit access for Census purposes, including the affixing of identification marks. All residents are requested to actively participate, provide truthful information, and extend their full cooperation to the officials to ensure the success of this monumental national exercise.

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