The Himachal Pradesh government will conduct a fully digital Census 2027 in two phases. House listing will occur in June-July 2026, and population enumeration in February 2027, with penalties for non-compliance or providing false information.
The Government of Himachal Pradesh has notified the schedule for conducting Census 2027, which will be carried out entirely in digital mode in two phases beginning mid-2026, according to an official communication issued by the General Administration Department.
Census Schedule and Phases
As per the notification, Phase I House listing and Housing Census will be conducted from June 16 to July 15, 2026. During this period, detailed information on housing conditions, amenities and assets will be collected. Ahead of this, residents will be given a 15-day window for self-enumeration to voluntarily submit their details online. Phase II Population Enumeration is scheduled for February 2027. However, considering harsh weather and accessibility constraints, enumeration in snow-bound areas of the state will be carried out earlier in September 2026.
Legal Mandates and Penalties
The government has warned of strict penalties for non-compliance. Individuals found obstructing census officials or deliberately providing false information may face a fine of up to Rs 1,000 and imprisonment of up to three years under provisions of the Census Act, 1948. Citing the provisions of the Act, the government has urged citizens to cooperate fully with the exercise, stating that it is legally mandatory to provide accurate information to census officials. However, exemptions have been made in cases where the disclosure of names of female family members or husbands is restricted by custom.
Data Collection and Privacy Assurance
The notification also mandates occupiers of premises to allow authorised census officials reasonable access for data collection and to permit marking of identification numbers or letters on buildings for official purposes. Reassuring citizens on privacy concerns, the government stated that all census data will remain strictly confidential and will not be open to public inspection or admissible as evidence in civil or criminal proceedings, except in cases related to violations under the Census Act.
Significance for Governance
Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta said that census data forms the backbone of policy planning and governance, aiding both state and central governments in decision-making. He added that the data is vital for public administration, delimitation and reservation of constituencies for Parliament, Assembly and Panchayati Raj institutions, as well as for assessing key socio-economic indicators such as literacy, migration and fertility trends. (ANI)
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