Two Census apps, test portal for self-enumeration go live

The Chief Secretary and Census Commissioner of India launched two mobile applications this week in preparation for the trial phase of the country’s first digital Census in 2027.

The preliminary testing of the first phase, called Housing Listing and Housing Operations (HLO), in which a total of 30 questions regarding housing opportunities will be asked, will be held in select regions across the country between November 10-30.

Enumerators, including block development officials, revenue officials and public school teachers, were trained to collect data on two apps available on the Google Play Store: Digital Layout Map (DLM) and Census 2027-Houselist. The applications are compatible with both Android and Apple phones and can only be downloaded by authorized personnel.

Public participation required

The self-enumeration portal is available for testing from November 1 to 7.

“To encourage public participation, a Self-Count facility will be available through the Census Portal from 1 to 7 November 2025, allowing individuals residing in areas selected for the Pre-Test to submit their information online via the website. https://test.census.gov.in/se ahead of field visits by enumerators,” a government statement said.

digital mode

The description of the DLM application explains the transformation of the Census of India, the world’s largest data collection exercise, into a digital operation.

“Until the 2011 Census, data was collected on paper charts and layout drawings were prepared manually. These records on paper were then digitized through scanning, a process that is both time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies. A historic transformation is taking place with the upcoming 16th Census of India. Census operations are being conducted in digital mode for the first time, ensuring greater accuracy, faster data availability and improved tracking. An important part of this transition is Digital Settlement Maps and each Houselisting Block.” Geotagging of all buildings within (HLB),” he says.

Records building information

He adds that the DLM app replicates the traditional methodology followed by inspectors and enumerators to draw conceptual sketches for home listing blocks, the primary unit of data collection, while offering digital efficiency, accuracy and real-time tracking capabilities.

The application will record building coordinates (latitude and longitude for each structure), names of settlements, roads, or streets, building numbers (if available; otherwise, temporary Census house numbers will be assigned by enumerators), building names (if available), building type (pucca or kutcha), building use (residential, partially residential, and non-residential), landmarks (mandatory), number of floors, and number of Census houses.

The statement emphasized that “no personal information of the building occupants/residents is collected through this application.”

Speed, accuracy, reliability

The description of the Operation House Listing app states that it has been developed as part of Census India 2027 to modernize and streamline the data collection process. “By adopting this digital approach, the Census aims to improve the speed, accuracy and reliability of home listing and housing counting, laying a strong foundation for the upcoming census phase,” he says.

Both phases of the census (household listing and census) will be completed between April 1, 2026 and February 28, 2027. In the second phase, the population will also be counted according to caste for the first time in Independent India.