The Odisha government has launched wide-ranging preparations to ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the 2027 Census across the state.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, has written to secretaries of various departments, heads of departments, all district collectors, municipal corporation commissioners, and chief census officers, outlining detailed instructions.
The entire census exercise will be carried out digitally in two phases. The first phase — House Listing and Housing Census — will be conducted from April 16, 2026, to May 15, 2026 (30 days). In tandem, the Self Enumeration process will run from April 1, 2026, to April 15, 2026. The second phase, Population Enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027.
To guarantee uninterrupted execution and accurate data collection, the state government has issued strict directions that no officer or employee appointed for census duties shall be transferred until the entire process is completed.
District and municipal chief census officers have been asked to finish training of all census staff within the stipulated timeframe. Master Trainers and Field Trainers will remain in their positions until March 2027. Transfers of Supervisors and Enumerators will require prior approval of the concerned district chief census officer.
All departmental heads have been directed to strictly follow transfer-control guidelines for field-level census officials. Every officer and staff member involved must discharge their duties in accordance with the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990.
These measures are being implemented as per the directives of the Government of India. The Odisha government has appealed to all stakeholders for complete cooperation to make the 2027 Census a resounding success.
