Haryana targets 100% population coverage in Census 2027

The Haryana government on Monday directed district administrations to ensure 100% population coverage during Census 2027, stressing that not a single individual or household should be left out of the nationwide enumeration exercise.

Calling for strict accountability, intensive field supervision and timely preparations, the government asked officials to adopt measures to prevent omissions, double counting and inaccuracies that could affect the credibility of census data.

The directions came as Haryana began preparations for the second phase of Census 2027 following the completion of the first phase across 51,907 house-listing blocks.

The population enumeration phase is expected to involve approximately 87,450 enumerators and supervisors, including reserve personnel, covering an estimated 70,000 enumeration blocks across the state.

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

Financial Commissioner, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Sumita Misra, who is also the State Nodal Officer for Census 2027, issued the directions during a one-day conference of Principal Census Officers.

Describing the census as a major national responsibility linked to nation-building, development planning and effective governance, Misra said the reliability of the exercise would depend on accurate enumeration, clearly defined administrative responsibilities and effective district-level supervision.

"The quality of census data depends significantly on the seriousness, leadership and field supervision at the district level," she said.

Misra emphasised that deputy commissioners would play a decisive role in ensuring the accuracy and credibility of the exercise. She directed them to personally monitor preparations, hold regular reviews with charge officers and identify operational difficulties well before population enumeration begins.

District administrations were also asked to prepare special operational plans for difficult-to-reach areas, rapidly expanding residential settlements, high-rise buildings, urban slums and localities with substantial migrant populations.

Misra stressed that technology and existing administrative information should be used to identify potential coverage gaps, prevent duplication and strengthen field-level monitoring.

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟴𝟳,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱

According to the operational roadmap presented at the conference, the second phase will cover approximately 70,000 enumeration blocks across Haryana's 23 districts, comprising 6,522 villages and 88 towns.

The exercise will involve around 74,800 enumerators and 12,650 supervisors, including reserve personnel, working across 203 census charges under the supervision of 34 Principal Census Officers.

Officials said the deployment plan was designed to ensure adequate field coverage and effective supervision throughout the enumeration period.

Special attention will be given to areas experiencing rapid population growth, high migration and changing residential patterns, where conventional enumeration methods may face additional challenges.

District administrations have been asked to identify such locations in advance and put appropriate arrangements in place to ensure that all eligible households are covered.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀

Director of Census Operations, Haryana, Lalit Jain, briefed officials on the technical and operational preparations and said Census 2027 would be India's first fully digital Census.

Enumerators will collect population information using dedicated mobile applications on smartphones, while citizens will also have the option of submitting their details through an online self-enumeration portal.

The Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) will facilitate real-time monitoring of field operations, administrative progress and coordination among census functionaries.

Officials said the digital system was intended to improve efficiency, transparency and data accuracy while enabling authorities to identify discrepancies and coverage gaps during the enumeration process.

Even households choosing self-enumeration will be visited subsequently by enumerators for verification of the information submitted.

Supervisors will verify 20% of the records, while charge officers will have the authority to flag entries requiring additional field verification.

𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟬

Under the schedule presented at the conference, citizens will be able to submit their information online through the self-enumeration portal from January 10 to January 24, 2027.

House-to-house population enumeration will begin on January 25 and continue until February 28.

A five-day revisional round will subsequently be conducted from March 1 to March 5 to identify omissions, rectify discrepancies and ensure comprehensive population coverage.

The census reference date and time have been fixed at midnight on March 1, 2027.

Officials said the revisional round would provide an additional opportunity to verify records and account for households or individuals who may have been missed during the initial enumeration.

𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲

Misra also directed deputy commissioners to launch extensive public awareness campaigns and promptly counter rumours and misinformation through factual communication.

The government plans to use social media, educational institutions, gram panchayats, Resident Welfare Associations, wall writings and traditional public announcements to reach households across urban and rural Haryana.

Major public gatherings, including the International Gita Mahotsav and Surajkund fairs, will also be used to spread awareness about Census 2027 and encourage citizens to participate in self-enumeration.

Officials were asked to ensure that information about the enumeration schedule, digital facilities and verification requirements reaches residents well before the exercise begins.

"The success of Census 2027 will ultimately be reflected in the quality of the data produced," Misra said, reiterating that effective district-level leadership would determine the credibility of the exercise.

She stressed that coordinated efforts by district administrations, census officials and field personnel would be essential to achieving complete and accurate population coverage across Haryana.