India census 2027 to record Wi-Fi, smart TV, vehicle details
HYDERABAD: The upcoming national census will include questions about digital access and household assets such as laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, and Wi-Fi connections. Citizens will also be asked whether their televisions support over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
Census to record household amenities and digital use
The questionnaire, being finalised by the Census Office, aims to capture changes in living standards and infrastructure since the 2011–12 enumeration. Governments have so far relied on that decade old data for welfare and development programmes. Officials said the new survey will document current amenities more precisely.
The exercise will take place in two phases, beginning with a household listing in April and May across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Enumerators will record details of each dwelling, including the head of the household’s name and available facilities.
Vehicles, equipment and village boundaries to be noted
Households will be asked to report vehicles bicycles, two-wheelers, cars, tractors, lorries and farm machinery under a mandatory category. The Centre has instructed state census wings to submit data on the availability and absence of basic facilities in the first phase itself.
The Union government has also directed states to use revenue boundaries of villages and towns as of December 31, 2025, for the census base. Any administrative changes new panchayats, mandals or districts made after that date will not be reflected in the 2025–26 census.
1.5 lakh staff to be deployed in Telugu states
About 1.5 lakh employees will be involved in the two phases of enumeration across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telangana alone will deploy around 75,000 personnel from education, health, municipal and panchayat raj departments. Training for field staff is expected to conclude by April, and teachers are likely to be assigned survey duties during the summer holidays.
The second phase, scheduled for February–March 2027, will gather individual-level data.
