CJI Surya Kant Completes Self‑Enumeration for Phase I of Census 2027 – Boost to Digital Census Initiative

Key Insight

CJI’s self‑enumeration kick‑starts digital Census 2027, underscoring e‑governance and citizen participation.

Key Facts

1. CJI R. Surya Kant completed self‑enumeration for Phase I of Census 2027 on 5 April 2026 at his official residence.
2. Phase I of Census 2027 is the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLHC), covering all residential units in the country.
3. The Census of India launched a secure Self‑Enumeration Portal in 2025, allowing citizens to submit housing data online.
4. Census 2027 is scheduled for 2027‑28 and will be the first Indian census to rely predominantly on digital data collection for the housing component.
5. The portal is built on the Digital India framework and complies with the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, ensuring data privacy and security.
6. The Chief Justice’s participation is intended to model civic responsibility and boost public confidence in the digital census process.

Background

The decennial census under Article 47 of the Constitution informs resource allocation, planning and welfare schemes. The shift to a digital self‑enumeration model aligns with the government's e‑governance agenda, aiming for higher accuracy, reduced costs and timely data, while also raising issues of data security and digital inclusion.

UPSC Syllabus

• Prelims_GS — National Current Affairs
• GS1 — Population and Associated Issues

Mains Angle

GS III – Governance & Polity: Examine the impact of digital self‑enumeration in Census 2027 and the role of constitutional institutions in fostering citizen participation and data privacy.