Raipur, April 12 : As the first phase of the nationwide Census 2027 has already commenced across the country from April 1, the house listing exercise in Chhattisgarh is scheduled to begin on May 1.

Preparations for this massive exercise are in full swing in the state. The first phase, known as the House Listing and Housing Census, is a crucial component of the overall census process.

During this phase, detailed information about every residential and non-residential building -- including its status, usage, and available amenities -- will be collected.

In Chhattisgarh, house listing and enumeration of houses will be carried out from May 1 to May 30. In line with the 'Digital India' initiative, citizens will also have the option of 'Self-Enumeration' this time.

From April 16 to April 30, families can voluntarily submit information about their households through a dedicated online portal. Those opting for self-enumeration will receive a unique Self-Enumeration ID, which they must preserve and provide to census enumerators during their visit for verification.

The first phase will record several key details, including the number, status, and type of each building and house; its usage (residential, commercial, or other); the nature of construction (kachcha, pakka, or semi-pakka); the number of households; and availability of basic amenities such as drinking water, toilet facilities, electricity, cooking fuel, and internet connectivity.

This Census is historic in many ways. It will be Indiaâ??s first fully digital census, with enumerators and supervisors entering data directly through mobile phones. The entire process will be monitored through the Census Management and Monitoring System. All information collected will remain strictly confidential and will not be disclosed, even under the RTI Act.

This will be Indiaâ??s 16th national census overall and the eighth since Independence. The last census was conducted in 2011, while the one due in 2021 could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first census in India was carried out in 1872, and the first after Independence took place in 1951.

/IANS