Census 2027: Internet access, housing quality, caste among questions in house listing

KOLKATA: Internet access, ownership of digital devices, housing quality, and caste will figure among the 33 questions to be asked during the house listing and housing census of Census 2027, the foundational phase of India’s decennial population exercise. The 33-point questionnaire was notified on January 22 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, authorising census officials to collect data during the House Listing Operation scheduled from April 1 to September 30. This phase will precede the population enumeration beginning on February 1, 2027. The house listing operation will collect information on residential structures and living conditions, including identification details of buildings and census houses, the main materials used for floors, walls and roofs, and the condition and use of houses. Enumerators will also record household numbers, the number of persons usually residing in each household, the number of married couples, and the number of dwelling rooms exclusively in the household’s possession. The schedule will also seek information on whether the head of the household belongs to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other category. The name and gender of the household head will also be recorded.

Reflecting technological changes, the questionnaire introduces questions on household access to the internet and ownership of digital and communication devices, including telephones or mobile phones or smartphones, computers or laptops, televisions, and radios or transistors. Information on transport assets will be collected under two categories: two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Two-wheelers include bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, and mopeds, while four-wheelers include cars, jeeps, and vans. The schedule also covers basic amenities and living standards, including the main source of drinking water and lighting, access to and type of latrine, wastewater outlet, bathing and kitchen facilities, availability of LPG or PNG connections, and the primary fuel used for cooking. Households will also be asked about the main cereal consumed. A mobile number will be collected exclusively for census-related communication. Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases and will be the 16th Census of India and the eighth since Independence. The population enumeration phase, beginning in February 2027, will collect detailed demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and other personal information on individuals.