Rashmi Kamal Appointed Census Director for Bengal as 2027 Prep Begins

As per an official order issued late on Wednesday, Kamal, a 2006 batch IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre, will assume charge with effect from January 14, 2026 (afternoon).

She has been appointed on central deputation under the Central Staffing Scheme for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Her headquarters will be located in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Kamal, with nearly two decades of administrative experience, will oversee census-related activities and citizen registration processes in the state.

The Office of the Director of Census Operations plays a key role in conducting the decennial Census and implementing the provisions of the Citizenship Act related to registration.

"The President is pleased to appoint Ms Rashmi Kamal, IAS (WB:2006), an officer belonging to the West Bengal Cadre of Indian Administrative Service, as Director of Census Operations/Director of Citizen Registration. West Bengal, with effect from January 14, 2026 (AN) and for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier, on central deputation under the Central Staffing Scheme," reads an order issued by the Office of the Registrar General under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The move comes as preparations are in full swing, considering MHA's January 7 notification regarding the houselisting operations for the Census of India 2027 beginning between April 1 and September 30 this year across all states and Union Territories (UTs). The houselisting exercise will be carried out over a 30-day period to be specified separately by each state and UT within the notified timeframe.

Last month, the MHA also issued a notification detailing the questionnaire to be used for Phase I of the Census of India 2027, which covers the Houselisting and Housing Census. The notification, issued by the Office of the Registrar General of India, authorised census officials to collect specified housing and household-related information across the country.

The notified questionnaire includes 33 items of information, covering details such as building and census house numbers, materials used in floors, walls and roofs, condition and use of houses, household size, ownership status and the number of dwelling rooms. It also seeks demographic information related to the head of the household, including gender and social category.

Further, data will be collected on the availability of basic amenities such as drinking water, electricity, toilets, bathing facilities, kitchens and LPG and PNG connections, along with details on cooking fuel, waste water outlets and access to communication and transport facilities, including internet, mobile phones, computers, televisions and vehicles. Mobile numbers will be collected strictly for census-related communication purposes, the notification clarified.

The MHA has also stated that the questionnaire for Phase II of the Census of India 2027, which pertains to Population Enumeration, will be notified separately in due course.

The government had also provided an option for self-enumeration, which will be conducted for a 15-day period immediately prior to the commencement of the house-to-house houselisting operations.

The upcoming Census 2027 exercise will take place in two stages, beginning with houselisting and housing data collection in 2026. The first phase will be carried out over a 30-day period between April and September 2026, based on timelines decided by respective states and Union territories. The second phase, involving the population enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027.

March 1, 2027, at 00:00 hours will serve as the reference date for enumeration across the country. However, for Ladakh and snow-bound regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the population count will be conducted earlier in September 2026, with October 1, 2026, as the reference date.

A nationwide pre-test for Census 2027 concluded on November 30 last year.

The houselisting phase pilot, conducted between November 10 and 30, 2025, also tested the digital data collection model and allowed respondents to self-enumerate between November 1 and 7, 2025.

As per Rule 6 of Census Rules, 1990, the census questionnaires and schedules are notified by the Central government through the Official Gazette under sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Act. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner is in the process of finalising the questionnaire.

In Census 2027, caste enumeration will be done as decided by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs vide its decision dated April 30, 2025.

- ANI