The self-enumeration phase of Census 2027 officially began in Tamil Nadu on July 17, marking the first step in India's first fully digital census exercise.
Residents can complete their census details online through the dedicated self-enumeration portal until July 31.
Self-Enumeration Portal
Addressing a press conference in Chennai on July 16, M. Sundaresh Babu, Chief Principal Census Officer and Director of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu, said the self-enumeration portal is available in 16 languages to ensure wider accessibility.
Use the official portal for the Self Enumeration - https://se.census.gov.in/
Citizens who complete the process online will receive a Unique Self-Enumeration ID (SEID), which can later be shared with census enumerators during their household visits.
House Listing and Housing Census
The House Listing and Housing Census will follow the online self-enumeration drive from August 1 to August 30. During this phase, trained enumerators will visit households to collect information on housing conditions, household characteristics, amenities, and assets using a structured questionnaire consisting of 33 items.
Digital Format and Field Operations
Officials said this is the first time the national census is being conducted in a digital format. Census enumerators have been equipped with dedicated mobile applications that allow information collected in the field to be uploaded directly to central data servers, eliminating the need for paper-based records.
Each enumerator is expected to cover approximately 200 to 250 households during the survey.
Data Confidentiality
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reiterated that all information collected under the Census Act, 1948, will remain strictly confidential and will be used only for statistical analysis, policymaking and development planning.
The ministry also assured citizens that data submitted through the self-enumeration portal and by field enumerators will be securely stored.
Residents across the notified states and Union Territories have been urged to participate in the exercise by completing self-enumeration online or by extending full cooperation to enumerators during their scheduled field visits.
The digital census initiative is expected to improve the accuracy and efficiency of data collection while simplifying the enumeration process for both citizens and government officials.
Honourable Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru. S. Joseph Vijay today (17.7.2026) registered his self-details online at the Chief Secretariat, ahead of the upcoming population census across Tamil Nadu.
