The census is expected to be one of the largest enumeration exercises in the world.
Census 2027 Goes Digital: Amit Shah Launches New Tools, Introduces Pragati and Vikas Mascots
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday introduced a set of digital platforms and unveiled two mascots for the upcoming Census 2027 in New Delhi, signalling the government’s move toward conducting India’s first fully digital population census.
Two mascots named Pragati and Vikas were also unveiled as part of the outreach campaign for Census 2027. Officials said Pragati represents a female enumerator while Vikas symbolises a male enumerator, highlighting the role of both women and men in the nationwide census exercise. The mascots will be used in awareness campaigns to encourage public participation and to communicate the objectives of the census programme. They also reflect the broader goal of building a developed India by 2047 through inclusive national initiatives.
Officials said the large-scale national exercise will be carried out in two phases and will involve more than three million enumerators, supervisors and other personnel across the country. The census is expected to be one of the largest enumeration exercises in the world.
During the event, four digital tools developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing were launched to support field operations and improve monitoring. These include the Houselisting Block Creator web application, the HLO mobile app for field data collection, a self-enumeration portal for citizens, and the Census Management and Monitoring System dashboard.
For the first time, households will be able to submit their census information online through a self-enumeration facility available in 16 languages. After submission, a unique identification number will be generated, which enumerators can verify during their door-to-door visits.
Officials said the houselisting and housing census phase will take place between April and September 2026, while population enumeration is scheduled for February 2027. The reference date for most states and union territories will be midnight of March 1, 2027.
