‘Do you count the dog?’: A day in the life of a Delhi school teacher on Census duty

Verma is one of the thousands of government school teachers and employees deployed across the country to conduct ‘Houselisting Operations’ (HLO) under the first phase of Census 2027 — listing all buildings and households to ensure accurate population data and planning between April and September.

A young boy answers the door. The head of the family, his father, isn’t home. So, the boy has to answer all questions, the HLO app open on Verma’s mobile phone.

Verma begins: What is the family’s caste category; number of family members; if they own other houses, may be in their village; whether they use LPG cylinders or piped gas; if they have smartphones; do they have access to the Internet or use mobile data; is the TV is connected through a dish or do they connect to it via mobile Internet, do they own a laptop or a computer, and which vehicles do they have.

There are other questions, too, which he did not ask — the source of electricity and water; if they have access to washrooms; and what kind of flooring material has been used in the house. “These are government quarters, the answers will be the same in every house,” he says.

Five minutes, and Verma is done. He moves on to the next house.

Lalit Lal Verma at MS Apartments on Delhi’s KG Marg. (Express Photo)

Verma is meticulous: he notes down the phone number of one person in every house in case there is a glitch in the app or he has to ask a question again.

The floor has around eight houses. Verma visits each and marks the vacant ones.

Then, before he starts visiting the houses on the next floor, he sips water, sharpens his pencil, and adjusts the two ID cards hanging around his neck.

At many houses, people look at him with suspicion — why is he at their doorstep asking random questions? Some listen through the mesh door before opening the main door. Others question his presence outright. Sometimes, children stand in for parents who are not home. He finds himself explaining who he is — a teacher, who teaches mathematics.

Half of the people, Verma says, do not know that the Census has begun. “But at least I can find people here. When I visit houses of IAS officers, it is difficult to find them at home. Also, I have to carry my official duty letter since they don’t believe me,” he adds.

Verma also faces a peculiar problem. “People don’t remember the phone numbers of their family members. When I surveyed houses during the 2011 Census, everybody used to remember everyone’s phone numbers. Now, no one does.”

It has been 15 years since the last Census. The one scheduled for 2021 was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first phase of the Census has begun in eight states, including Delhi, but only for NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board areas. The exercise will begin for the rest of the Capital, for MCD areas, next month.

Verma’s knees hurt by the time he reaches the third floor. In one of the houses, an elderly woman asks him if her dog will also be counted. The canine is, after all, a family member.

Verma smiles and moves on to the next house: he has been allotted 193 houses to enumerate within one month.