How 33 lakh enumerators are counting India’s population

[00:00:00]Every morning at 7:00 a.m., before the city fully wakes up, a school teacher in Delhi is already at work, knocking on strangers' doors.

[00:00:09]But, she isn't there to teach.

[00:00:11]She is counting India.

[00:00:13]India Census 2027 is unlike any before.

[00:00:17]It's digital, real-time, and for the first time, it will include caste data.

[00:00:23]But, behind the technology and the numbers are 30 lakh enumerators navigating heat, resistance, risk, and now questions about the data itself.

[00:00:33]House listing and housing operations, the first phase of population Census 2027, is currently on in several parts of the country, while it has been completed in at least 23 states and union territories. The second phase, the population enumeration phase, which will also enumerate caste for the first time in the country, will be held in February 2027, except in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where both the phases will be completed by September.

[00:01:04]Meet M. Saumina, a government school teacher from East Delhi. Her summer vacation didn't mean rest. Instead, she was assigned to survey 150 households across 17 apartment blocks in 26 days.

[00:01:16]With a smartphone, a Census ID, and a white cap to shield her from the heat, she went door-to-door asking 33 questions about housing, water, sanitation, and assets. But, she didn't go alone. Her husband accompanied her every day. Because, for many women enumerators, this job comes with anxiety. They are entering strangers' homes early in the morning or late in the evening. There have already been cases of harassment. For many, having a male companion becomes a necessity, not a choice.

[00:01:48]There have already been cases of harassment. In Delhi, a man was convicted for harassing a woman enumerator on duty.

[00:01:55]For many, having a male companion becomes a necessity, not a choice.

[00:03:23]Getting answers is not easy, either.

[00:03:26]In high-rise apartments, residents are often unavailable or unwilling. Doors remain locked, security guards deny entry.

[00:03:33]Enumerators return again and again, sometimes early morning, sometimes late evening, just to confirm whether a home is occupied. In fact, many say collecting data in slums is easier than in gated apartments.

[00:03:47]>> Manish Kumar >> Noida.

[00:05:18]>> This is India's first digital census, but the technology isn't always reliable. Apps crash, network signals fail. Enumerators often note responses on paper first, then upload them later.

[00:05:30]Some say the biggest challenge isn't access to or technology. It's what happens after the data is collected.

[00:05:36]Enumerators across states say their findings often don't match official claims, especially when it comes to open defecation, toilets, drinking water, electricity, and LPG use. And when that happens, they say they are being asked to go back and correct the discrepancies.

[00:05:52]Many, including school teachers and Anganwadi workers, have taken to social media to report this aspect.

[00:05:58]On June 2, officials in Rajasthan flagged discrepancies in census data and asked field officers to verify entries through the Census Management and Monitoring System after several households were being recorded as practicing open defecation.

[00:06:12]Cooking fuel was listed as firewood or dung cakes even in urban areas.

[00:06:17]Officials say these corrections are meant to remove confusion and ensure accuracy.

[00:06:23]But enumerators describe a different reality. One says if she recalls a tin roof, she's asked to change it to concrete. If a family has no toilet, she's told to check if there is a neighbor's or a public facility nearby.

[00:06:36]And then mark that the household has access. Another says they are informally told not to choose options that may show the government in a poor light. Some residents, too, are reluctant to answer honestly. They fear that revealing their actual conditions could lead to losing government benefits. So, the question becomes, are they recording reality or reshaping it? Meanwhile, what they see on the ground is often stark. In dense neighborhoods and villages, many homes lack basic infrastructure, no proper roofs, no doors, sometimes not even walls.

[00:07:40]Residents living in poverty often assume enumerators can help them access government schemes, whether it's LPG, running water, toilets, housing, or pensions. This is India's first digital census. Over 30 lakh enumerators are entering data into mobile apps. Their work is monitored in real time through a central system. Each enumerator must cover up to 150 households, around 800 people. On paper, it is a system designed for efficiency and precision.

[00:08:09]But, on the ground, the story is far more complex.