India’s Census Self-Enumeration Window Closes in Days, but Door-to-Door Visits Will Cover Every Home

Residents across Maharashtra have four days remaining to complete the census through a new online self-enumeration portal, but officials emphasized that every household will still receive a door-to-door visit starting May 16 as part of the Phase I house-listing exercise, regardless of whether residents used the digital option.

The Details

The online self-enumeration window is set to close within four days, marking the end of the initial digital submission period for the ongoing census cycle. After the portal shuts, residents will no longer be able to enter their household details online. Enumerators are scheduled to begin the Phase I house-listing exercise on May 16 and will continue through June 14, according to the timeline provided by The Times of India and communicated by Maharashtra census officials.

Dr Nirupama Dange, chief principal census officer for Maharashtra, told The Times of India that census teams have been instructed to leave no address uncovered. "We don't expect everyone to complete self-enumeration," Dange said. "Those who cannot will be covered by census staff during the field visits. Enumerators will visit all buildings and cover every home without exception." Officials said the self-enumeration portal is being used for the first time and is intended as an optional tool for residents comfortable with online forms, not as a replacement for in-person data collection. Census staff will still handle verification and data collection during the upcoming Phase I exercise.

Residents who do complete the online self-enumeration form are required to keep their unique identification numbers ready to share with enumerators when they arrive. The requirement is designed to help census staff verify which households have already submitted information and which still need to be processed.

For some residents, the digital option did not work. Lata Kulkarni, a 68-year-old Pune resident, told The Times of India that she had tried but failed to complete the form online. "Now, I know someone will come home and help me," she said.

Officials told The Times of India that digital collection reduces the complexity, cost, and time involved in processing paper forms.

Context

The introduction of the self-enumeration portal represents the first time such a digital convenience has been offered during the census cycle. Officials noted that elderly residents and people without internet access or smartphones may prefer to wait for enumerators rather than attempt the online form. The portal is intended to reduce the complexity, cost, and time involved in processing paper forms, officials said, while still preserving the traditional door-to-door verification process. Census data is protected by a three-tier system during collection, transmission, and storage, with access limited to authorised personnel and data kept encrypted throughout the process. This security framework applies to both digital submissions and the information gathered by enumerators during field visits.

What's Next

Door-to-door visits are scheduled to begin May 16 and run through June 14 for the Phase I house-listing exercise, according to the timeline provided by Maharashtra census officials via The Times of India. Phase II, during which the actual population in each household will be counted, is planned for early 2027. Officials have stressed that no household will be excluded from the census, whether or not its residents participated in the digital self-enumeration phase. Enumerators will visit all buildings and cover every home without exception, officials said.