Lucknow | January 6, 2026

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced that Census 2027 in the state will be carried out in two phases, starting from May 2026, with the entire process being conducted digitally for the first time. The decision was taken by the State Level Census Coordination Committee (SLCCC) during a meeting held in Lucknow on Monday.

According to officials, the first phase of the census will involve the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), which will be conducted between May and June 2026. This phase will focus on collecting information related to households and housing conditions across the state. The second phase, which will include population enumeration and caste-related data, will be conducted later as part of Census 2027.

The committee approved the deployment of approximately six lakh personnel for census fieldwork across Uttar Pradesh. These staff members will be responsible for data collection, verification, and monitoring at various levels. Officials said the large workforce is necessary given the size and population of the state, which is the most populous in the country.

Chief Secretary SP Goyal, who chaired the meeting, said the entire census operation will be carried out through a digital platform. Data collection, entry, verification, and monitoring will all be done online to ensure transparency, accuracy, and efficiency. He stressed that the use of digital tools will help reduce errors and speed up the process.

For the first time, citizens will also be given the option of self-enumeration. Director of Census Operations, Sheetal Verma, informed the committee that people will be able to fill in their census details themselves using digital facilities. This move is expected to make the process more convenient for citizens and reduce the workload on field staff.

The chief secretary directed all departments to complete their preparations within the given timeline. He emphasized the importance of coordination among departments and said proper training of census personnel would be crucial for the success of the exercise. He also underlined the need for careful selection of trainers and full cooperation from all concerned departments.

During the meeting, it was decided that all administrative boundaries in the state will remain frozen as of December 31, 2025. This means there will be no changes in district, tehsil, sub-division, municipal, or village boundaries from January 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. The move follows guidelines issued by the Union home ministry and is meant to ensure consistency and accuracy in census data.

The secretariat administration department has been designated as the state nodal department for the census. It will coordinate with key departments including revenue, home, education, urban development, and panchayati raj to ensure smooth implementation of the exercise across rural and urban areas.

The committee also reviewed several administrative aspects related to Census 2027. These included the appointment of census officers, the formation of district-level Census Coordination Committees in all districts, technical support systems, financial guidelines, and the honorarium to be paid to census staff.

Officials expressed satisfaction over the successful completion of Pre-Test 2027, which was conducted in selected rural and urban areas of Bulandshahr, Bahraich, and Prayagraj districts. Feedback received during the pre-test will be used to fine-tune the census strategy and strengthen the overall action plan.

Several senior officials attended the meeting, including principal secretary rural development Saurabh Babu, secretary urban development Anuj Kumar Jha, secretary home Mohit Gupta, special secretary general administration Zuhair Bin Saghir, revenue board commissioner Kanchan Verma, director general of school education Monica Rani, and other senior officers.

With preparations already underway, the state government said its focus remains on conducting a smooth, transparent, and technology-driven census that captures accurate data while ensuring active participation from both officials and citizens.

: Census 2027 in Uttar Pradesh to Begin in May 2026 with Two-Phase Digital Exercise, Around Six Lakh Staff to Be Deployed

Uttar Pradesh is set to begin Census 2027 with a two-phase process starting in May 2026. The decision was taken by the State Level Census Coordination Committee in Lucknow, chaired by Chief Secretary SP Goyal. The first phase, known as the House Listing and Housing Census, will be conducted in May and June 2026. The second phase, which will include population count and caste-related data, will be carried out later.

For the first time, the entire census operation in the state will be digital. From data collection and entry to verification and monitoring, everything will be done through an online platform to improve transparency and accuracy. Another major change is the introduction of self-enumeration, allowing citizens to fill in their own details digitally, making the process easier and faster.

Around six lakh personnel will be deployed across Uttar Pradesh for census fieldwork, given the state’s large population. The chief secretary has directed all departments to complete preparations on time and ensure proper training of staff with strong coordination between departments.

To maintain consistency in data, all administrative boundaries in the state will remain frozen from January 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, as per Union home ministry guidelines.

The state government has also reviewed preparations, including officer appointments and district-level committees. Officials said feedback from the successful pre-test in Bulandshahr, Bahraich, and Prayagraj will help strengthen the final action plan.