New Delhi, January 23: The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India on Thursday January 22, 2026 notified the questionnaire for Phase I of Census 2027, officially launching preparations for IndiaтАЩs next decennial population exercise. The first phase, known as Houselisting and Housing Census, will be conducted between April 1 and September 30, 2027.

The notification lists 33 questions, two more than those notified for Census 2021, which was postponed and eventually shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The revised questionnaire reflects changes in housing patterns, technology access and urban living conditions, and will form the base for the second phase of the Census.

First Fully Digital Census

According to the government, Census 2027 will be IndiaтАЩs first fully digital Census. Data will be collected using mobile applications on personal smartphones of enumerators, while citizens will also get the option to self-enumerate through a dedicated portal that is yet to be announced.┬аCensus 2027: PM Narendra Modi-Led Cabinet Approves Proposal; Digital Count To Deploy 30 Lakh Personnel and Include Caste Data.

The exercise will also be the first Census to include caste enumeration, which will take place in Phase II or Population Enumeration, scheduled for February 2027. Questions for Phase II are yet to be notified.┬аCensus 2027: Population Census To Be Taken From March 1, 2027, Says Centre; Issues Gazette Notification.

One of the key changes in the Phase I questionnaire is the restructuring of the question on housing materials. In Census 2021, the type of floor, wall and roof was captured under a single combined question. In Census 2027, this has been split into three separate questions on the predominant material used in the floor, wall and roof of the Census house.

Officials say this change will help capture more granular data on housing quality and regional variations, particularly in rapidly urbanising areas.

Official Notification and Scope

In the official gazette notification, Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan stated that all Census officers are authorised to ask the notified questions within their assigned local areas for the purpose of the houselisting and housing census connected with Census of India 2027.

The Census India handle also confirmed on X that the questionnaire for Phase I has been issued, while the Phase II questionnaire will be notified separately in due course.

Full List of 33 Questions for Phase I

The 33 questions notified for Houselisting and Housing Census are:

1. Building number issued by municipal or local authority or Census number

2. Census house number

3. Predominant material of floor of the Census house

4. Predominant material of wall of the Census house

5. Predominant material of roof of the Census house

6. Use of Census house

7. Condition of the Census house

8. Household number

9. Total number of persons normally residing in the household

10. Name of the head of the household

11. Sex of the head of the household

12. Whether the head of the household belongs to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other

13. Ownership status of the house

14. Number of dwelling rooms exclusively in possession of the household

15. Number of married couples living in the household

16. Main source of drinking water

17. Availability of drinking water source

18. Main source of lighting

19. Access to latrine

20. Type of latrine

21. Waste water outlet

22. Availability of bathing facility

23. Availability of kitchen and LPG or PNG connection

24. Main fuel used for cooking

25. Availability of radio or transistor

26. Availability of television

27. Access to Internet

28. Availability of laptop or computer

29. Telephone, mobile phone or smartphone

30. Bicycle, scooter, motorcycle or moped

31. Car, jeep or van

32. Main cereal consumed in the household

33. Mobile number for Census related communications only.

What Are the 33 Questions for Census 2027?

Pre-test Already Conducted

A preparatory pre-test for Phase I was conducted from November 10 to November 30, 2025 in selected areas across the country. The pre-test covered 35 questions, including housing materials, cooking fuel, drinking water source, cereal consumption and number of married couples in a household, to assess clarity and data quality.

Feedback from this exercise was used to finalise the notified 33-question format.

Large Scale Manpower Deployment

Around 30 lakh field functionaries will be deployed for Census 2027, including enumerators, supervisors, master trainers, charge officers and district level Census officials. They will be responsible for data collection, monitoring and supervision across the country.

All Census functionaries will be paid a suitable honorarium, as the work will be carried out in addition to their regular duties and will require the use of personal mobile phones for digital data collection.

With the Phase I questionnaire now notified, the focus will shift to operational planning, training of field staff and finalisation of the self-enumeration portal. The government is expected to notify the Population Enumeration questionnaire, including caste related questions, later this year ahead of the February 2027 exercise.

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