Q. There are reports that stable live-in couples may be recorded as “married” in census data. If individuals do not wish to be classified this way, will they have the option to indicate their relationship status differently during enumeration? — Naresh YYes—individuals will have the option to indicate their relationship status differently. As per Census definition, Live-in couples will be treated as “married” only if they themselves consider their relationship a “stable union.” If a live-in couple does not want to be classified as married, they can simply not declare their relationship as a “stable union” or married during enumeration. The enumerator (or the self-enumeration system) records what the respondent states; it is voluntary and self-identified, not an imposed classification. Q. Will any physical documentation be needed to be provided as evidence during the census? — Venkatanarayanan SNo, individuals will not be asked to provide any physical documentation as evidence during the Census. The process relies on self-reported information, and enumerators will record what respondents state. However, it is your responsibility to provide correct, authentic, and complete information to the best of your knowledge and belief. Q. What measures are being taken to ensure that the data we submit during the census is not misused? How long will the data be saved? What is the mechanism if someone wants their data to be deleted? — Laxman RCensus exercise is carried out under Census Act, 1948 and the Act itself provides complete safeguard to the data collected during Census. All information collected in the Census is kept strictly confidential under Section 15 of the Census Act, 1948. Only aggregate data and summaries at various administrative levels like State, District, Subdistrict, Village/Town etc. are published. Utmost importance is given to maintain the confidentiality of the data and hence, this data is exempt even under RTI and cannot be used as evidence in any civil or criminal court. Census data is retained permanently for statistical and historical purposes. There is no mechanism for individual data deletion. However, as legal mandate, individual identifiable data remains confidential and protected. Q.If someone notices an error after completing self-enumeration, is there a way to correct the submitted details? — Ankita RaoBefore submitting the self-enumerated data, respondents may review and edit the data any number of times. However, certain fields such as name, mobile number, and language cannot be modified once entered and saved. Once the self-enumeration process is completed and data is submitted, no further changes can be made through the self-enumeration portal. However, corrections to the self-enumerated data are possible and can be made by an enumerator during the house visit. Q. A large number of people work abroad and their parents stay with them for several months. If such parents are not physically present at home during the census, how will they be included in enumeration? — Dr A M DayalPersons are enumerated based on their normal or usual place of residence, not merely based on their physical presence during enumeration or house visit by the enumerator. Therefore, if parents who normally reside in a household in Telangana are temporarily staying abroad (for example, visiting their children), they will still be included in the census at their normal residence in India. Their details can be provided by other knowledgeable members of the household to the enumerator during the visit. Q. I am residing in Sainikpuri. We shifted to Hyderabad in 2023. How can people like me, who shifted from another state, get enumerated? Also, please explain how the self-enumeration process works for such residents. — H S VijayakumarCensus enumeration is based on the concept of normal residence irrespective of home state or nationality. Since you have been residing in Hyderabad since 2023, you will be enumerated at your current place of residence. There is no issue for people who have migrated from another state—they are counted where they are currently living. The self-enumeration portal will be available in Telangana from April 26 to May 10. You may submit details through portal using your present residence in Hyderabad. And the enumerator, during house visit, will confirm and finally submit the data. Q. Hyderabad has many hostels and paying-guest accommodation. How will tenants staying in shared flats or PGs be counted to avoid duplication or omission? — G SangeethPersons residing in hostels and paying-guest (PG) accommodations will be classified under Institutional Households, whereas persons living in shared flats are treated as part of Normal Households. To avoid duplication or omission in the census count, the concept of “normal/usual residence” is adopted during enumeration. People are enumerated based on their usual place of residence. In case of hostels and PG accommodations, the enumerator collects information either directly from the residents or where necessary, from the owner, manager or caretaker, to ensure all occupants are properly recorded. Adequate care is taken during enumeration to confirm each individual’s usual residence, thereby avoiding duplication.Q. If a house is locked when the enumerator visits, what steps will be taken to ensure the residents are still included in the census? — Hanumantha RaoDuring the house visit, if a house is found locked, the enumerator will first determine whether the house is temporarily or permanently locked. If the house is temporarily locked due to the household being away temporarily on pilgrimage, tour, function, holiday etc., the enumerator will obtain contact details from the neighbours and the household will be contacted to ascertain the date of return and accordingly the enumerator will revisit the household to complete the enumeration process.Q. Do you think self-enumeration can capture our population—migrants, tenants, and the homeless—without errors, duplication, or breaches of trust? What mechanisms are available to ensure that only authentic data is submitted — Chada Rekha RaoIn Phase I of Census 2027, i.e., the Houselisting Operations (HLO), all buildings are listed comprehensively, irrespective of their usage (residential and non-residential), occupancy status (including tenants and migrants), ownership status (own or rented) or the condition of the structure. This process serves as a master frame for the Population Census, forming the basis for the collection of individual data ensuring that all households are covered completely. Self-enumeration is a new and progressive feature introduced for the first time, allowing households to submit their information digitally. However, it is not mandatory. Households or individuals who do not participate in self-enumeration will be covered through the regular enumeration process during both phases of the Census operations, ensuring complete coverage without omission. Self-enumeration can be availed by both migrants and tenants using their current place of residence.Q. What mechanisms are being used to ensure homeless persons are accurately counted in the census? — Neeraja KalyanThere is a separate process to count the houseless population during census. To ensure that homeless persons are accurately counted in the census, special enumeration strategies are used. Houseless population is covered on the night of the last date of Population Enumeration, simultaneously across India. Since the homeless do not reside in fixed dwellings, they are covered through targeted night-time enumeration drives, wherein enumerators visit places where homeless individuals are likely to be found—such as streets, railway stations, bus stands, parks, religious places, flyovers and other shelters.Q. While filling up online self-enumeration details, our house is being mapped to the wrong location. I tried correcting it but was unable to do so. Why is this happening and how can it be corrected? — Makarand PalorkarSelf-enumeration has not yet commenced in Telangana. The facility will be available from April 26 to May 10, enabling households to submit their details digitally during this period. The portal is designed to be simple and user-friendly. However, issues like incorrect location mapping may arise due to improper pin placement or technical limitations before final submission.Q. How will residents of newly constructed apartments or gated communities that may not yet appear in census block maps be covered during enumeration? — Mohit JainFor Census purposes, the lowest administrative unit in rural areas is the Revenue Village, while in urban areas it is the Ward. However, for administrative convenience these revenue villages and wards are further subdivided into workable blocks, known as Houselisting Blocks (HLBs) or Enumeration Blocks (EBs). During the field visit, all the buildings, irrespective of their usage (Residence, Non-Residence i.e., Shops, office, religious places etc) and whether old or new and irrespective of the condition of the building, are covered. Therefore, even newly constructed apartments or gated communities are completely covered as long as they physically exist within the designated block at the time of enumeration. For enumeration, they need not appear on Google or other maps. Census enumeration is field exercise and is carried out completely through door to door visit by the enumerator.Q. What is the reference date for determining whether a person will be counted at a particular residence in the census? — D AravindThere is no fixed duration prescribed for determining “usual residence” of a person for enumeration purpose. Normal residence concept is followed to ensure there are no omission and no duplication. It means every person shall be counted and counted only once. However, no particular duration or reference date is fixed for considering normal residence at the time of enumeration.Q. How safe is census data in case of cyberattacks or hacking? What safeguards are in place to protect personal information from large-scale data breaches during digitisation of census data? — Dr M S Krishna KumarCensus data is collected and managed under strict legal and technical safeguards to ensure its security and confidentiality. Robust cybersecurity measures are implemented to protect the data from unauthorised access, cyberattacks, or breaches. These include encryption of data during transmission and storage, secure authentication mechanisms, controlled access protocols, and continuous system monitoring. Further, advanced IT infrastructure with regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and compliance with govt data protection standards is in place to minimise risks associated with large-scale digitisation.Q. Will Aadhaar or any other identity number be required for completing self-enumeration or during enumerator visits? — Dinesh KumarNo, Aadhaar or any other identity number will not be required for completing self-enumeration or normal enumeration during house visits by enumerators.Q. We are a family of senior citizens, including my 96-year-old father, with our children staying abroad. Is there anything we need to complete online before or during the census period? — CS BansalThere are two modes of enumeration: self-enumeration through the portal (https://se.census.gov.in/) and normal enumeration by designated enumerator through house-to-house visit. In both cases, the enumeration process is conducted in digital mode. For self-enumeration, households can use the portal between April 26 and May 10. The information submitted will subsequently be confirmed by the enumerator during the house visit between May 11 and June 9. A step-by-step demonstration of the self-enumeration process is available on the Census portal. However, self-enumeration is not mandatory. Under normal enumeration, households will be enumerated by the designated enumerator using the houselisting mobile application. Q. Is it mandatory to provide a mobile number for self-enumeration? What should residents do if they do not have access to a personal mobile number? — R MurthyYes, providing a mobile number is mandatory for self-enumeration, as it is required for multi-factor authentication such as OTP verification to access the self-enumeration portal. In cases where a resident does not have a personal or active mobile number, the mobile number of any family member may be used to complete the self-enumeration process. If no member of the household has access to a mobile number, the household will be enumerated during the regular field enumeration by the enumerator. Q. If children living abroad want to assist their parents in India with self-enumeration, can they complete the online process on their behalf? — Sai KiranNo. Access to the self-enumeration portal is permitted only from within India. For example, if a household wants to complete self-enumeration for a residence in Hyderabad, the portal can be accessed from anywhere within India, but not from outside the country. Q. Our domestic help stays with us. In a situation like ours, where a caregiver or domestic helper is staying with senior citizens full-time, should they be included as part of the same household during self-enumeration? — K Subba RaoYes. A domestic help or caregiver who is staying full-time in the same household should be included as part of the household, either during self-enumeration or normal enumeration.Q. I am a senior citizen. Many elderly residents may not be comfortable using the self-enumeration app. What support mechanisms are being planned to assist us? How can we register and complete process through the app in advance? — SVBN RaoThe self-enumeration (SE) process has been designed to be simple and user-friendly. To assist residents, including senior citizens, detailed FAQs and a user guide are available on the SE portal (https://se.census.gov.in), along with tutorial resources explaining the step-by-step procedure. Family members or other authorised persons may also assist senior citizens in completing the self-enumeration process. In case any resident is not comfortable using the portal or is unable to complete self-enumeration, their household will be covered during the regular enumeration by the designated enumerator. Q. How can residents verify that the person visiting their home is an authorised census enumerator? Who are appointed as enumerators? — C RajeshEnumerators are appointed by the census authorities and are typically govt employees, including teachers and other officials, working in the local area. Each enumerator will carry an official identity card issued by the designated charge officer (such as the Municipal Commissioner or the Tahsildar). This identity card will include a QR code, which residents can use to confirm the authenticity of the enumerator. Q. If a family is temporarily staying at another residence during the enumeration period due to renovation or relocation, where should they report their household details? — Anand VVA household should be enumerated at its place of usual residence at the time of enumeration. Therefore, if a family is temporarily staying at another residence due to renovation or relocation, they will normally be enumerated at the place where they are residing during the enumeration period.Census questions:1. Building number (Municipal or local authority or census number). 2. Census house number. 3. Predominant material of floor of the census house. 4. Predominant material of wall of the census house. 5. Predominant material of roof of the census house. 6. Ascertain use of census house. 7. Condition of the census house. 8. Household number. 9. Total number of persons normally residing in the household. 10. Name of the head of the household. 11. Sex of the head of the household. 12. Whether the head of the household belongs to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Other. 13. Ownership status of the census house. 14. Number of dwelling rooms exclusively in possession of the household. 15. Number of married couple(s) living in the household. 16. Main source of drinking water. 17. Availability of drinking water source. 18. Main source of lighting. 19. Access to latrine. 20. Type of latrine. 21. Waste water outlet. 22. Availability of bathing facility. 23. Availability of kitchen and LPG/PNG connection. 24. Main fuel used for cooking. 25. Radio/Transistor. 26. Television. 27. Access to internet. 28. Laptop/Computer. 29. Telephone/Mobile Phone/Smartphone. 30. Bicycle/Scooter/Motorcycle/Moped. 31. Car/Jeep/Van. 32. Main Cereal consumed in the household. 33. Mobile Number (for census related communications only
