Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Nov 10: In preparation for India’s upcoming 2027 national census, the directorate of census operations, Karnataka region, will, on Monday, November 10, launch a door-to-door pre-census trial drill across three locations in the state — 46 villages in Supa (Joida taluk) of Uttara Kannada district, 27 villages in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district, and JP Ward in Bengaluru North City Corporation.
The exercise, officials said, aims to identify logistical and technical gaps in data collection and test a combination of physical and digital enumeration methods ahead of the full-scale national count. It also marks the first time that a self-enumeration option has been introduced, allowing citizens to input their own data digitally.
Speaking to The New Sunday Express, Aswini Kumar, deputy director of the directorate of census operations, Karnataka region, explained, “In 2010, the census was conducted entirely in physical form. This time, it is both physical and digital. Hence, these trials are essential to ensure the exercise proceeds smoothly.”
He added that the department is aware of challenges such as poor internet connectivity in forest-covered areas like Joida and Gundlupet, while in Bengaluru, where digital literacy is high and the population largely migratory, different data-gathering strategies will be tested.
A preliminary trial held between November 1 and 7, 2025, covered around 1,100 households in selected areas, enabling officials to assess public response, data accuracy, and system efficiency.
According to officials, the 2027 Census will be conducted in two phases. The first phase, from April to September 2026, will provide each state a 30-day window to complete the enumeration process, while the second phase will take place between February and March 2027.
Organised under the directorate of census operations and citizen registration, ministry of home affairs, the trial forms part of India’s move towards a hybrid, tech-driven approach to data collection.
The census questionnaire includes 34 key questions, covering areas such as fertility, employment, caste, and housing, to generate an accurate and comprehensive demographic profile of the country.
Officials said the pre-census trial will help streamline procedures, address technical constraints, and ensure enumerators are well-trained for the nationwide exercise scheduled to begin in a few months.