The Union government has notified the 33 questions that will be asked during the first phase of Census 2027, officially known as House Listing and Housing Enumeration. The exercise will begin on April 1, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday.
This phase will focus on collecting detailed information about housing conditions, household assets, and basic amenities. Compared to the 2011 Census, the updated questionnaire includes new questions on internet access, mobile numbers, and cereal consumption, while a question related to banking services has been removed.
Timeline and Methodology
The first phase of Census 2027 will be conducted over a 30-day period, with individual states and union territories choosing their enumeration window between April 1 and September 30, 2026.
Residents will also have the option of self-enumeration during a 15-day window prior to the start of the official house-listing period.
Although the data collection process is expected to conclude by March 1, 2027, officials said that data compilation, verification, and publication may take an additional two to three years.
The Census was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to include caste-related data in the upcoming Census was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in April last year.
Census 2027: Complete List of Questions (Phase 1)
As per the official notification, enumerators will collect the following information during the house listing exercise:
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Building number (municipal, local authority, or census number)
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Census house number
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Predominant material of floor
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Predominant material of walls
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Predominant material of roof
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Use of the census house
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Condition of the census house
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Household number
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Total number of persons normally residing in the household
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Name of the head of the household
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Sex of the head of the household
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Whether the head of the household belongs to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or other category
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Ownership status of the census house
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Number of dwelling rooms exclusively used by the household
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Number of married couples living in the household
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Main source of drinking water
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Availability of drinking water source
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Main source of lighting
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Access to latrine
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Type of latrine
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Wastewater outlet
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Availability of bathing facility
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Availability of kitchen and LPG/PNG connection
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Main fuel used for cooking
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Radio or transistor
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Television
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Access to internet
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Laptop or computer
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Telephone, mobile phone, or smartphone
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Bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, or moped
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Car, jeep, or van
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Main cereal consumed in the household
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Mobile number (for census-related communication only)
