Self-enumeration in Census 2027

For the first time, households can enter their own census details online before the enumerator visits. It is optional: everyone is still visited house to house.

How it works

1. Open the official portal, se.census.gov.in. Use no other website.
2. Log in with your mobile number and basic details.
3. Mark your location on the map.
4. Fill in the household details.
5. Submit. You receive a Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID).
6. Give the SE ID to the enumerator when they visit; they confirm the details and include them.

When

Self-enumeration opens for 15 days just before house-to-house work in each phase. For Phase I it ran state by state between April and September 2026 (see state-wise dates). For Phase II in the snow-bound areas it ran from 17 August 2026 to 31 August 2026. For the rest of India it will precede February 2027 enumeration; dates will be notified.

Languages

Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.

Is my data safe?

Section 15 of the Census Act, 1948 makes individual census information confidential: it cannot be released under RTI, used as evidence in court or shared with any institution. The government says data is encrypted end to end and stored in data centres designated as Critical Information Infrastructure.

Sources: PIB, Registrar General’s press conference on Census 2027 (30 March 2026); PIB backgrounder: Census 2027, India’s first digital enumeration (25 April 2026).