The second phase of Delhi's population census is set to enter its next phase in January 2027, with residents expected to provide information on a wide range of personal, social and economic details. The self-enumeration facility is likely to open on January 10, giving people 15 days to submit their information online before census officials begin door-to-door visits on January 25. According to senior officials, the second phase of Census 2027 in the national capital is expected to continue till February 28. A subsequent revisional exercise, scheduled from March 1 to 5, will provide an additional opportunity to review and update the collected information.
The proposed timeline is expected to be discussed at a meeting on Thursday, chaired by the Delhi chief secretary and attended by census officials. The dates remain subject to the outcome of the meeting and the finalisation of the exercise's schedule.
Delhi census to cover population details after house-listing exercise
The upcoming phase will focus on counting the population and gathering detailed information about people living in the city. It follows the first phase, which concluded in Delhi on June 14. Officials said the house-listing and housing census covered nearly 76 lakh houses and approximately 55 lakh households. Enumerators recorded that more than 2.3 crore people were ordinarily residing in Delhi. The second phase will build on this exercise by collecting information about individual residents, their households, education, employment, migration and other demographic characteristics.
What are the 40 questions Delhi residents will have to answer?
The population enumeration questionnaire will contain 40 questions covering personal identity, family circumstances and socio-economic indicators. It will include caste-related information, marking the first collection of caste data in a census since 1931, according to the information provided for the exercise.
Residents will be asked to provide basic details such as their name, sex, date of birth, age, marital status and relationship with the head of the household. The questionnaire will also seek information on nationality, religion, Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe status, disability, mother tongue and other languages spoken or known.
Educational and employment details will form another major part of the exercise. Respondents will be asked about their educational qualifications, whether they are employed, their occupation, the industry in which they work and their classification as workers. The census will also record migration patterns. Questions will cover a person's birthplace, last place of residence, reasons for moving and the length of time they have lived at their current location.
Aadhaar, bank accounts and other personal details included
The questionnaire will seek certain information about residents' family and financial circumstances, including the number of children and bank accounts held. People will also be asked whether they have a mobile phone number, Aadhaar, a voter identity card or a passport. The availability of these documents and identification details will be recorded as part of the exercise.
However, Aadhaar details are to be provided only if available, and submitting Aadhaar is voluntary. Residents are not required to produce the document as a compulsory condition of census participation.
The proposed questionnaire also includes questions about the date and place of birth of respondents' parents, adding another layer of family-related information to the population records.
Self-enumeration, field visits and revisional round explained
The planned schedule provides residents with an opportunity to complete self-enumeration before census personnel visit households. The online window is expected to remain open from January 10 to 24, while door-to-door population enumeration is scheduled to begin on January 25.
The field exercise is expected to run for around five weeks, ending on February 28. Officials have also planned a revisional round from March 1 to 5. The census manual sets out the responsibilities of enumerators and supervisors, procedures for house numbering and preparing layout maps, and arrangements for counting homeless people. It also addresses the confidentiality of information collected during the exercise.
Census 2027 to be conducted in two phases
India's Census 2027 is being organised in two stages. The first covers the listing of houses and housing conditions, while the second focuses on population enumeration and individual-level information. The Delhi schedule forms part of preparations for the nationwide census. The questionnaire and operational guidelines are intended to help officials collect consistent demographic and socio-economic information across households. The information gathered through the census will provide a picture of the population's composition, living circumstances, education, employment and migration.
(With inputs from PTI)
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