<p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Ministry of Home Affairs — the central government ministry responsible for internal security, law and order, and disaster management (GS2: Polity)">Ministry of Home Affairs</span> (MHA) has kicked off Phase‑I of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) — Phase I of the Census that records details of houses, amenities and assets; forms the data base for planning (GS3: Economy)">Houselisting and Housing Census</span> (HLO) for <span class="key-term" data-definition="Census 2027 — the decennial national population count scheduled for 2027, here being conducted in phases starting 2026 (GS3: Economy)">Census 2027</span>. The field operations start on <strong>16 April 2026</strong> in eight states/UTs – Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim, plus the <span class="key-term" data-definition="NDMC — New Delhi Municipal Council, a civic body governing parts of Delhi, included in the census field operations (GS2: Polity)">NDMC</span> and Delhi Cantonment Board – and will run for 30 days until <strong>15 May 2026</strong>.
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<h2>Key Developments</h2>
<ul>
<li>Self‑Enumeration (SE) portal, introduced for the first time, has already recorded <strong>12 lakh</strong> households nationwide.</li>
<li>From <strong>16 April 2026</strong>, SE will be opened in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (available till <strong>30 April 2026</strong>).</li>
<li>Bihar’s 15‑day SE window runs from <strong>17 April 2026</strong> to <strong>1 May 2026</strong>, followed by field work from <strong>2 May 2026</strong> to <strong>31 May 2026</strong>.</li>
<li>Enumerators will use a dedicated mobile app for digital data capture, ensuring higher accuracy and faster processing.</li>
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<h2>Important Facts</h2>
<p>The SE facility allows households to submit their information online via <a href="https://se.census.gov.in" target="_blank">se.census.gov.in</a>. After completion, a unique <span class="key-term" data-definition="SE ID — a unique identifier generated for a household after completing Self‑Enumeration, to be shown to the enumerator (GS3: Economy)">SE ID</span> is issued, which must be presented to the enumerator during the house‑to‑house visit. Households that do not use SE will be covered by physical enumeration.</p>
<p>During the HLO phase, enumerators will collect data on 33 notified questions covering housing conditions, household composition, amenities, and assets. All information is protected under the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Census Act, 1948 — legislation that governs the conduct of the Census in India, ensuring confidentiality and statistical use of data (GS2: Polity)">Census Act, 1948</span>; it is used solely for statistical purposes and development planning.</p>
<h2>UPSC Relevance</h2>
<p>Understanding the Census process is vital for GS‑III (Economy & Societ