Bhubaneswar: In a bid to maintain administrative continuity during the nationwide exercise, the Odisha government has prohibited the transfer of officers and staff involved in the upcoming Census 2027 until its completion in March 2027.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Arabinda Kumar Padhee, has issued a formal directive to all departmental secretaries, heads of departments, district collectors, municipal commissioners, and chief census officers, outlining the operational guidelines and stressing the need for uninterrupted support.
Similarly, master trainers and field trainers cannot be moved until the project concludes. Transfers of supervisors or enumerators will require prior approval from the respective District Chief Census Officers, and only in cases of genuine urgency. All designated personnel have been directed to complete their training on schedule. Officials must strictly adhere to the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990, while following guidelines issued by the Centre.
This move comes as the first phase of the Census 2027—India’s first fully digital population count has already begun with the self-enumeration facility opening on April 1, 2026. The government has initiated extensive preparations to ensure accurate and efficient data collection across the state, aligning with the national schedule announced by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
Two-Phase Digital Process
The census will be conducted in two distinct phases. Over 25,000 people in Odisha self-enumerated digitally on day one of the first phase of Census 2027 (House Listing and Housing Census), which will continue till the midnight of April 15. Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati launched the process by submitting his own household details online, urging residents to participate actively and contribute accurate information.
This will be followed by the house-to-house enumeration by designated officials from April 16 to May 15. This phase focuses on collecting details about housing conditions, amenities, and household assets.
Phase II (Population Enumeration) is scheduled for February 2027, with a reference date of March 1, 2027, for most parts of the country. This phase will gather individual-level data, including demographic particulars. Questions related to caste enumeration are expected to be notified before this phase begins.
The entire process will leverage digital tools, including mobile applications for enumerators and a self-enumeration portal available in multiple languages, marking a significant technological upgrade from previous censuses.
