Census 2027 to kick off in Chandigarh, houselisting exercise to begin from May 1

Apart from the Houselisting Operations phase scheduled from May 1 to May 30, a 15-day self-enumeration period has also been finalised from April 16 to April 30. These dates will be notified in the official Gazette of UT Chandigarh at the earliest.

To facilitate a smooth transition towards a digital Census, it was decided that the Directorate of Census Operations would organise a one-day conference on February 25 to orient and sensitise the principal Census officer (deputy commissioner) and other senior officials.

As per the UT official, the committee reviewed the successful completion of pre-test activities at two locations—Sarangpur and Sector 22—and discussed preparations underway for the main Census operations. A detailed training schedule for master trainers and field trainers was approved, with sessions set to begin in the third week of February.

On the financial front, the availability of a budget and approved norms was assessed. The committee decided to initiate the hiring of technical staff and procurement of IT infrastructure in Chandigarh at the earliest.

Emphasising the timely completion of all preparatory activities, Chief Secretary Rajesh Prasad directed all concerned departments to ensure close coordination and cooperation to ensure the smooth and efficient conduct of Census-related work in the Union Territory.