Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched two mascots and four digital platforms in New Delhi in preparation for Census 2027

Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched two mascots and four digital platforms in New Delhi in preparation for Census 2027. This step has been taken to make the census process digital, transparent, and faster.

Other Related Information

¨     The mascots 'Pragati' and 'Vikas' represent a female and a male census enumerator, respectively.

¨     These mascots symbolize the equal participation of women and men in nation-building.

¨     These mascots will help disseminate information and awareness related to Census 2027 in a citizen-friendly and accessible manner.

¨     The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has developed advanced digital platforms to facilitate enumeration operations across the country.

Four Digital Tools for Census 2027

¨     Houselisting Block Creator (HLBC) Web Application: This application allows charge officers to digitally create 'houselisting blocks' using satellite imagery and ensures standardized geographic coverage across the country.

¨     HLO Mobile Application: This application enables enumerators to collect houselisting data through a secure, offline mobile platform and transmit the data directly to a central server.

¨     Self-Enumeration (SE) Portal: This portal allows households to submit their information online before the field survey and generates a unique 'Self-Enumeration ID', which is subsequently verified by the enumerator.

¨     Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) Portal: This portal serves as a central platform for planning, managing, and monitoring census operations, allowing officials to track the progress of the enumeration in real time.

About Census 2027

¨     The Central Government notified its intention to conduct Census 2027 through a Gazette Notification on June 16, 2025, formally initiating the census process.

Census 2027 is the world's largest census exercise and will be conducted in two phases

¨     Phase 1: House Listing and Housing Census (HLO): This will collect data on housing conditions and household amenities. It will be conducted between April 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026.

¨  Phase 2: Population Enumeration (PE): This will record the demographic, social, and economic details of every person in the country. It will be conducted across India in February 2027. Census 2027 will be the first census in India to be conducted entirely through digital devices and will provide citizens with the option of self-enumeration for the first time. Caste-related questions will also be included during the population enumeration phase of this census.