TN to launch India's first fully digital housing census today
Chennai, Aug 1
Tamil Nadu is set to launch the Houselisting and Housing Census on Saturday, marking the commencement of the first phase of Census 2027 with a month-long door-to-door enumeration exercise across the State.
More than 1.15 lakh enumerators will take part in what officials describe as India's first fully digital Census operation.
The field exercise, scheduled from August 1 to August 30, will cover every household across Tamil Nadu through nearly 1.2 lakh house-listing blocks under 1,026 administrative charges.
Around 19,000 supervisors have been deployed to oversee the enumeration process and ensure the smooth conduct of the exercise across the State.
Enumerators will visit every household and collect information through a 33-question schedule covering housing conditions, ownership, construction materials, drinking water, sanitation, electricity, cooking fuel, communication facilities and access to other basic amenities.
The data collected during this phase will provide the foundation for the Population Census and support future planning and policymaking.
For the first time in the country's Census history, all data will be captured using a dedicated mobile application, replacing the conventional paper-based method.
Officials said the technology-driven exercise is expected to improve the accuracy of data collection, reduce processing time, minimise errors and enable seamless management of information.
The Houselisting and Housing Census serves as the statistical foundation for evidence-based policymaking, targeted welfare delivery and long-term development planning.
The information gathered will help governments assess housing conditions, identify infrastructure gaps and formulate development programmes based on reliable statistical data.
Ahead of the launch, Tamil Nadu recorded an encouraging response to the newly introduced self-enumeration facility.
Between July 17 and July 31, more than 10 lakh households submitted their details online through the Census self-enumeration portal.
Officials have advised residents who completed the online process to keep their Self-Enumeration Identification Number ready for verification during the enumerator's visit.
Households that did not use the online facility will also be covered during the door-to-door survey.
Officials reiterated that all information collected during the Census is protected under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, and will remain strictly confidential.
They added that the digital collection and processing of data comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, ensuring that citizens' information is used solely for statistical analysis, public policy formulation and development planning.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Self-enumeration option is a great initiative. I filled my details online last week itself, saved so much time. But I hope the app works smoothly in rural areas where network connectivity is still an issue. Let's see how this pans out.
Great to see India embracing technology for governance. But I wonder about data privacy. The article mentions the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, but will the data really be restricted to statistical purposes? Need more transparency on data usage.
As someone who works in urban planning, I can't stress enough how crucial accurate housing data is. This will help us design better cities, plan for water supply, electricity, and even disaster management. Proud of TN for taking this step! 🙌
Appreciate the digital push, but I hope they've trained the enumerators well. If the app crashes or has bugs, the whole exercise could go haywire. Also, 33 questions is a lot per household — hope the field staff are patient and courteous.
This is a massive logistical operation — 1.15 lakh enumerators and 19,000 supervisors! Hats off to the TN government for taking on this challenge. The digital aspect will definitely make data processing faster and more accurate. Excited to see the results.
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