Amit Shah Launches Digital Tools, Mascots for First-Ever Digital Census 2027

The Government of India formally initiated the Census process through a Gazette Notification issued on 16 June 2025.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has soft-launched four digital platforms and unveiled the official mascots “Pragati” and “Vikas” for Census-2027, marking a major step toward India’s first fully digital population census.

The announcement was made in New Delhi, with senior officials including the Union Home Secretary and the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India present. The digital platforms have been developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to support enumeration operations nationwide.

World’s Largest Census Goes Digital

The Government of India formally initiated the Census process through a Gazette Notification issued on 16 June 2025.

Census-2027 will be the world’s largest census exercise, involving more than 30 lakh enumerators, supervisors and census officials.

For the first time in India’s census history:

• The entire census process will be conducted digitally

• Citizens will have the option of self-enumeration through an online portal

Officials say the digital transformation will improve accuracy, efficiency, and real-time monitoring of data collection.

Mascots “Pragati” and “Vikas” Introduced

The mascots “Pragati” (female enumerator) and “Vikas” (male enumerator) were unveiled as the public faces of Census-2027.

They symbolize:

• Equal participation of women and men

• India’s aspiration to become a developed nation by 2047

The mascots will be used in outreach campaigns to communicate the objectives, importance and procedures of the census in a citizen-friendly manner.

Four Digital Platforms Launched

The government introduced four key digital systems designed to manage and streamline census operations.

1. Houselisting Block Creator (HLBC) Web ApplicationA web-mapping platform that allows charge officers to digitally create houselisting blocks using satellite imagery, ensuring standardized geographic coverage.

2. HLO Mobile ApplicationA secure offline mobile app enabling enumerators to collect and upload housing data directly from the field.

Key features include:

• Field-to-server data transmission

• Paperless enumeration

• Access restricted to registered census officials

• Availability in 16 regional languages

• Compatible with Android and iOS devices

3. Self-Enumeration (SE) Portal For the first time, households will be able to submit census information online before field visits.

After completing the online form, households will receive a Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID), which enumerators will use to verify submitted data.

4. Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) Portal A centralized digital dashboard for managing and monitoring census operations nationwide.

Officials at sub-district, district and state levels will be able to track:

• Enumeration progress

• Field performance

• Operational readiness

Two Phases of Census 2027

The census will be conducted in two major phases.

Phase 1: Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO)

This phase will collect information on housing conditions and household amenities.

• Conducted between 1 April 2026 and 30 September 2026

• Each State and Union Territory will implement the survey during a 30-day continuous period

• A 15-day self-enumeration window will precede field operations

Phase 2: Population Enumeration (PE)

This phase will record demographic, social and economic information for every individual in India.

• Nationwide enumeration: February 2027

• Early enumeration for snow-bound areas (Ladakh, parts of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand): September 2026

For the first time, the population census will also include caste-related questions.

Census Reference Dates

The official reference date for Census-2027 will be:

• 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027 for most states and union territories

• 00:00 hours on 1 October 2026 for Ladakh and other snow-bound regions

Technology Meets Inclusivity

Officials say the integration of digital platforms with door-to-door surveys will ensure comprehensive, secure and inclusive data collection.

By combining technology with traditional enumeration methods, Census-2027 aims to deliver more accurate and timely population data, supporting national planning in areas such as healthcare, education, infrastructure and social welfare.