India launches first-ever digital census

New Delhi | Desk: Marking the historic launch of the country's first digital census, approximately 55,000 households registered their details on the very first day using the self-enumeration portal. According to information provided by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah were among the first individuals to answer the 33 questions under the first phase of the 'House Listing Operations' (HLO) on this portal, which commenced on April 1, 2026.

This marks the first time in India's history that citizens have been provided the facility to fill in their census details themselves. Currently, this process has been initiated in eight states and Union Territories the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim as well as in select areas of Delhi.

Households registering their information through the portal will receive a unique 'Self-Enumeration ID' (SE ID), which must be shared with the enumerators visiting their homes 15 days later.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the portal is available in 16 regional languages, and only one household can be registered per mobile number.

In this highly anticipated census the first to be conducted since 2011 caste-related data will also be collected for the first time. During the first phase, information regarding housing status, household amenities, and assets is being gathered.

With the exception of Ladakh and other snow-bound regions, the second phase of the population enumeration during which personal details such as religion and caste will be requested is scheduled to be conducted in February 2027 for the remaining states. The Ministry has clarified that, under the Census Act of 1948, all collected data will remain completely confidential and secure.