Context:
- The Registrar-General of India (RGI) has initiated preparatory steps for the Population Census 2027, directing States and Union Territories to finalise and freeze administrative boundaries by December 31, 2025.
- This measure is essential to ensure accuracy, uniformity, and comparability of Census data across the country.
- The upcoming Census marks India’s first fully digital Census exercise and is a continuation of the postponed Census 2021, delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Highlights:
Census 2027 Timeline and Phases
- First Phase: House Listing and Housing Schedule (HLO) to commence on April 1, 2026.
- Census operations will be conducted phase-wise across States, generally during the April–September period.
- The Gazette notification detailing final dates and questionnaires is awaited.
- For Census 2021, 31 questions were notified for the HLO phase.
Administrative Boundary Freeze
- States and UTs must finalise:
- District boundaries
- Tehsils / Taluks
- Police station jurisdictions
- Any boundary change after December 31, 2025:
- Will not be reflected in Census 2027 data.
- Can cause inconsistencies in population, housing, literacy, and economic datasets.
Operational and Digital Features
- The Census will be conducted digitally for the first time in India.
- Mobile applications and handheld devices will replace paper schedules.
- Expected deployment:
- ~34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, largely State government employees
- ~1.3 lakh Census functionaries for supervision and coordination
- Enumerators (usually teachers or revenue officials) will be trained and assigned fixed geographic areas.
Enumeration Blocks (EBs)
- Approximately 24 lakh Enumeration Blocks (EBs) from Census 2021 will be reused.
- Each EB covers:
- 150–180 households
- 650–800 persons
- Enumerators will assign Building Identification Numbers (BINs) to:
- Residential buildings
- Houses
- Public and commercial structures
Significance of Boundary Freezing
- Ensures data consistency for:
- Census datasets
- Electoral rolls
- Development planning
- Fund allocation under Centrally Sponsored Schemes
- Prevents discrepancies in longitudinal data comparison across decades.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Issue: Need for stable administrative units before a nationwide population survey.
- Causes:
- Digital enumeration requirements
- Reuse of existing Enumeration Blocks
- Scale and complexity of Census operations
- Government Initiative:
- Census 2027 under the Registrar-General of India
- Introduction of a Digitised Census
- Benefits:
- Improved accuracy and efficiency
- Faster data processing and availability
- Reduced human error
- Challenges:
- Timely boundary finalisation by States
- Training and digital readiness of enumerators
- Coordination across administrative levels
- Impact:
- Reliable data for governance, planning, and welfare targeting
- Stronger linkage between Census data and fiscal–administrative decisions
Relevant Mains Points:
- Facts & Institutions:
- Registrar-General of India (RGI)
- Population Census 2027
- House Listing and Housing Schedule (HLO)
- Key Concepts:
- Enumeration Block (EB)
- Digitised Census
- Data Freeze Protocol
- Analytical Perspective:
- Boundary freezing is critical for administrative coherence and policy credibility.
- Digital Census marks a shift towards technology-driven governance, but requires strong backend capacity.
- Way Forward:
- Ensure early coordination between States and the Centre on boundary changes.
- Invest in training, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure.
- Maintain transparency through timely Gazette notifications.
- Leverage Census data effectively for inclusive development planning and evidence-based policymaking.