Narrower margin for error in second phase census, training vital, says registrar general

The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) has written to all states that the margin for error during the second phase of the 2027 census is “narrower” as the questions are “numerous, sensitive and more serious”. The official also stressed the importance of rigorous training for the nearly 34,000 enumerators and supervisors who will conduct the exercise.

In a letter sent to RG&CCI on September 9, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan also requested to incorporate gender sensitization in the training program for enumerators with emphasis on respectful interaction, accurate recording and strict avoidance of assumptions or biases.

The circular also said that the enumeration itself would continue in the second phase. Enumerators and supervisors, most of whom are teachers and public school staff, will be trained to verify, edit and receive responses submitted through the self-enumeration portal and mobile apps.

Practical experience

In what is being called India’s first digital census, enumerators are to record data through an app on their personal phones. The same process took place during the first phase, House Listing Operations (HLO), which began on April 1st and will end on September 30th.

The circular said enumerators “may be encouraged to self-enumerate their households to familiarize themselves with the questions through the SE (self-enumeration) portal.

It stated that hands-on practice with the Population Enumeration mobile application is mandatory for all enumerators and supervisors.

After the completion of the ongoing population census in Ladakh and the snow-covered areas of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand, the second phase of Census 2027 will be conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and remaining parts of Uttarakhand from 16 November 2026 to the rest of 20 February 2027. The enumeration will begin in February 2027.

The second phase will ask 40 questions which includes enumeration of castes other than Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe for the first time in independent India.

In a September 9 circular, RG&CCI said that while Phase I training has created a digitally literate census workforce, the population census would require officials to engage respondents on a wider range of sensitive issues, including religion, language, caste, disability, migration, economic activity and fertility.

Training modules

The training modules will similarly cover issues related to caste, fertility and religion.

According to the circular, the quality, completeness and integrity of the census data will directly depend on the effectiveness of the training provided to the census personnel.

The circular said the population census would require enumerators to ask questions on religion, mother tongue, caste, disability, migration, fertility and economic activity, among others. It instructs trainers to place particular emphasis on these categories and on the correct application of coding and probing techniques.

On 14 August, the RG&CCI announced a set of 40 questions to be asked during the second phase of Census 2027, adding 13 new questions or data fields that were not part of the Census 2011 questionnaire.

“To improve interactions with households, the government has introduced a framework called PRAMAN, which includes Pehchaan (Identity), Rishta (Rapport), Anurodh (Request), Madad (Assistance), Aankada Shuddhata (Data Accuracy) and Nishtha (Commitment). The framework will be embedded at all levels of training and administered Bhava and reinforced by circular,” he said.

The circular said that Census 2027 is not just an administrative and statistical exercise, but that it is one of the empirical foundations for building a Viksit (developed) Bharat. “The accuracy, completeness and integrity of Phase II data will directly depend on the quality of training provided to the vast workforce of census functionaries – approximately 34,000 enumerators and supervisors – who will conduct the census. Therefore, training is not just a preparatory step; it is itself a contribution to the national vision for quality data generation,” he added.

Published – 15 Sep 2026 22:23 IST