Census 2027: Chief Secretary Hails Digital Mission as Foundation for ‘Viksit Bharat’
JAMMU, April 10, 2026 — Describing India as being at a critical “data inflection point,” Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today characterized Census 2027 as a transformative National Digital Transformation Mission that will serve as the bedrock for the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India).
Speaking at the Census 2027 Summit held at Abhinav Theatre, the Chief Secretary emphasized that data has become the “new fuel” powering the nation’s economic engine and evidence-based policy planning.
Unlike the manual processes of 2011, this first-ever paperless census will leverage mobile-based enumeration, artificial intelligence, and cloud technology to ensure unprecedented accuracy and transparency.
By integrating these trusted datasets with the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile), the government aims to transition from “one-size-fits-all” planning to micro-level scientific governance that tailors health, education, and infrastructure to the specific needs of individual districts and villages.
The summit, attended by high-profile dignitaries including UNFPA India Resident Representative Andrea M. Wojnar and UIDAI Deputy Director General Praful Kumar Sigtia, outlined a rigorous roadmap for the two-phased exercise.
Chief Principal Census Officer Amit Sharma detailed that the first phase, focusing on House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), will kick off with a self-enumeration window from May 17 to May 31, followed by door-to-door fieldwork throughout June 2026.
Citizens will be encouraged to use a secure web portal available in 16 languages for self-reporting, while enumerators will utilize a dedicated mobile app for real-time data submission.
To ensure success, Chief Secretary Dulloo issued clear directives to Deputy Commissioners for the immediate completion of training for all census officers, noting that the resulting data will determine the financial share of states and guide national development initiatives for the next decade.
Reaffirming the commitment to data security, the summit highlighted that robust compliance frameworks are in place to maintain the integrity of citizen information, ensuring a safe, inclusive, and technologically advanced enumeration that leaves no segment of society behind.