NEW DELHI, Mar 5: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday soft-launched four digital platforms and unveiled the official mascots for India’s upcoming Census-2027, which will be conducted as the country’s first fully digital population exercise.
The mascots, Pragati (female) and Vikas (male), were introduced to promote awareness and participation in the census process. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the mascots symbolise the equal participation of women and men in achieving the vision of a developed India by 2047.
Developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), the new digital tools are aimed at streamlining enumeration operations across the country. Officials said Census-2027, the world’s largest population exercise, will be conducted in two phases and will introduce several technological innovations.
One of the key platforms is the Houselisting Block Creator web application, which enables officials to digitally create houselisting blocks using satellite imagery, ensuring improved geographical coverage and accurate mapping.
Another tool, the HLO mobile application, will allow enumerators to collect houselisting data directly from households through a secure offline system and upload it digitally, reducing paperwork and improving efficiency.
For the first time, the government will also introduce a Self-Enumeration portal, allowing eligible household members to submit their information online before field operations begin. After submitting their details, households will receive a unique Self-Enumeration ID that can later be verified by enumerators.
The fourth platform, the Census Management and Monitoring System portal, will serve as a centralised digital dashboard to help authorities plan, manage and monitor census operations in real time at sub-district, district and state levels.
Officials said the digital transition is expected to enhance the accuracy, efficiency and transparency of the census process while making participation easier for citizens across the country.
