New Delhi witnessed a significant milestone in India’s statistical history today as Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched cutting-edge digital tools for the upcoming Census 2027. The event, held in the national capital, also featured the official unveiling of the census mascots ‘Pragati’ (representing women) and ‘Vikas’ (representing men).
The census process kicked off formally with a gazette notification on June 16, 2025, marking the beginning of what is billed as the world’s largest demographic exercise. Scheduled in two phases, this census will be conducted entirely digitally for the first time, introducing a self-enumeration option for citizens to streamline data collection.
A secure web-based portal has been developed for self-enumeration, allowing individuals to pre-register their details online in 16 languages ahead of door-to-door surveys. Upon successful registration, users receive a unique self-enumeration ID, which enumerators can use to verify the submitted information, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
Four key digital platforms, crafted by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), were soft-launched during the event. These include the House Listing Block Creator (HLBC) web application, HLO mobile application, self-enumeration portal, and the Census Management and Monitoring System portal. These tools promise to enhance planning, data gathering, and oversight, making the process more precise and transparent.
The mascots Pragati and Vikas are designed as friendly figures symbolizing progress and development. They embody the equal participation of men and women in India’s vision to become a developed nation by 2047. Through these characters, census-related information will be disseminated simply and effectively across diverse societal segments.
The first phase, from April to September 2026, will focus on house listing and housing data collection. The second phase in February 2027 will cover population enumeration, capturing social, economic, and demographic details for every individual. Approximately 3 million enumerators, supervisors, and officials nationwide will use secure mobile apps for door-to-door data entry.
By leveraging technology, the government aims to deliver a more accurate, secure, and inclusive census. Senior officials, including the Union Home Secretary and the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, attended the launch, underscoring its importance to national planning and policy-making.