Varanasi: As preparations for the country’s first fully digital Census-2027 gather pace, the Varanasi division has also begun extensive groundwork. It will be India’s 16th census and the eighth after Independence, and is regarded as the most comprehensive source of primary data at village, city and ward levels.Chief principal census officer and director of Census Operations Directorate, Uttar Pradesh, Sheetal Verma on Monday reviewed preparations for Census-2027 with the divisional commissioner of Varanasi and DMs of all four districts.
The census will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, house listing and housing enumeration will be carried out simultaneously across Uttar Pradesh from May 22 to June 20. The second phase, population enumeration, will be completed across the country in February 2027.Census-2027 will be conducted entirely through digital means. For the first time, citizens will have the option of self-enumeration. Under this provision, from May 7 to May 21—15 days prior to the commencement of field work—citizens can fill in census details themselves using an online questionnaire through the self-enumeration portal and mobile application.To ensure complete coverage, digital applications will be used to prepare GIS-based maps and enumeration blocks of all urban bodies and villages. During the meeting, the Director of Census Operations, Uttar Pradesh, gave a detailed presentation on the census process, timeline and action plan. Extensive discussions were held on the roadmap and strategies for the efficient and successful conduct of the census.Verma said the census would collect detailed data on social, economic and housing conditions, which would serve as a foundation for future development planning and policy formulation. She added that census data would play a crucial role in strengthening the country’s infrastructure planning.During house listing and enumeration, enumerators will collect 33 categories of information, including building usage, construction materials, number of rooms, ownership status, availability of toilets, main source of lighting, cooking fuel, LPG/PNG connections, staple cereals consumed, and household assets such as phones, vehicles, televisions and internet connectivity. Phased training for officers and staff associated with census work will begin from February 15. It is estimated that around 10,000 personnel will be deployed in Varanasi district, about 11,000 in Jaunpur, nearly 9,000 in Ghazipur and around 5,000 in Chandauli.Divisional Commissioner S. Rajalingam underlined the importance of training and directed all District Magistrates to ensure effective training arrangements, with special focus on the selection of suitable trainers. Officials were instructed to complete all necessary preparations well in advance to ensure that Census-2027 is conducted in a time-bound, transparent and error-free manner.
