The official also underscored the importance of rigorous training for the nearly 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors who will conduct the exercise.
The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) has written to all States, saying that the margin for error during the second phase of Census 2027 is “narrower” as the questions are “numerous, sensitive, and more consequential”.
In a letter sent on September 9, RG&CCI Mritunjay Kumar Narayan also asked for the integration of gender sensitisation in the training programme for enumerators, with an emphasis on respectful interaction, accurate recording, and strict avoidance of assumptions or bias.
“To improve interactions with households, the government has introduced a framework called PRAMAN, comprising Pehchaan (Identity), Rishta (Rapport), Anurodh (Request), Madad (Assistance), Aankada Shuddhata (Data Accuracy) and Nishtha (Commitment). Enumerators and supervisors, most of whom are government school teachers and staff, will be trained to validate, edit and accept responses submitted through the self-enumeration portal and mobile application. It instructs trainers to place special emphasis on these categories and on the correct application of coding and probing techniques.
In the September 9 circular, RG&CCI said that while Phase I training had established a digitally proficient Census workforce, Population Enumeration would require officials to engage with respondents on a wider range of sensitive issues, including religion, language, caste, disability, migration, economic activity and fertility.
The circular also said that self-enumeration would continue in the second phase. The circular said that the enumerators “may be encouraged to do self-enumeration of their own households to get better acquainted with questions through the SE (self-enumeration) Portal”. It said that hands-on practise with the Population Enumeration Mobile App is mandatory for all enumerators and supervisors. The quality, completeness and integrity of Census data will depend directly on the effectiveness of training provided to Census personnel, according to the circular. The circular said population enumeration would require enumerators to ask questions relating to religion, mother tongue, caste, disability, migration, fertility and economic activity, among other subjects. The framework will be embedded across all levels of training and reinforced through a Seva Bhav pledge administered to enumerators and supervisors,” the circular said.
