Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday unveiled enumerator mascots Pragati (female) and Vikas (male) and four digital tools for the 2027 Census, the first phase of which, or house listings, will begin from April 1. The Advanced Computing Development Center has developed digital tools to facilitate census operations.
“The mascots ‘Pragati’ (female enumerator) and ‘Vikas’ (male enumerator) have been unveiled to act as friendly and relatable faces of Census 2027. These mascots also symbolize equal participation of women and men in achieving the resolve to make India a developed nation by 2047. Through these mascots, key information, objectives and messages related to Census 2027 will be disseminated in an effective manner. In a friendly manner,” the Home Ministry said in a statement. For citizens across various segments of society.”
The 2027 Census is the first decadal exercise conducted using digital tools. The first tool, Houselisting Block Creator, is a web map that will enable blocks to be created digitally using satellite imagery, ensuring uniform geographic coverage. The second tool is a secure, offline mobile application that census takers use to collect and upload housing listing data.
“Only enumerators registered on the CMMS (Census Management and Monitoring System) portal can access the application. The application allows direct transfer of field data to the server, eliminating traditional paperwork. All housing listing data will be collected through this application, which can only be operated using registered mobile phone numbers. The application is compatible with Android and iOS platforms, and can be operated in 16 regional languages,” the statement said.
The Ministry indicated that self-census was introduced for the first time. She added that a secure web-based facility will allow qualified responders within the household to submit their information online prior to field operations.
“Upon successful submission, a unique Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID) will be generated.” This self-counting ID will be shared with the counter, based on which the counter will be able to verify the information, the ministry said.
The fourth tool, the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal, is a central digital platform on the Internet designed to plan, manage, implement and monitor all relevant activities across administrative levels. “Officials at sub-district, district and state levels can track census progress, field performance and operational readiness in real-time through an integrated dashboard.”
The ministry said data will be collected using secure door-to-door mobile applications, and full coverage will be ensured. She added that more than three million enumerators, supervisors and other officials will participate across the country. “This thoughtful adoption of technology combines innovation with inclusivity, ensuring that the 2027 Census remains accurate, secure and comprehensive.”
The 16th population census, which will include a caste census, was announced last year. It will be conducted in two phases and is expected to be completed by March 1, 2027.
In the first phase, the housing conditions, assets and amenities of each household will be collected as of April 1, 2026. Thereafter, demographic, socio-economic, cultural and other details of each person in each household will be collected as of February 1, 2027, in the second phase.
The Registrar General of India last week issued detailed guidelines outlining the process of forming housing blocks, including ideal size, counting in villages, numbering of houses, completion of geospatial database, use of a dedicated portal, etc.
