Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a set of digital platforms and unveiled two mascots for the country’s first digital census, scheduled to begin on April 1 after a delay of almost six years.

Population censuses are supposed to take place every 10 years, but there has been none since 2011.

The population count, which will include a caste enumeration for the first time, will be conducted in two phases, the first between April 1 and September 30, 2026, and the second in February 2027.

During the first phase, data on housing conditions and household amenities will be collected while the second phase will record demographic, social and economic particulars of every person in the country. For the first time, citizens will be able to self-enumerate online in 16 languages before enumerators begin door-to-door surveys.

The mascots Pragati and Vikas represent female and male enumerators and symbolise the equal participation of women and men in fulfilling the resolve to make India a developed nation by 2047, the home ministry said in a statement.

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing has developed advanced digital platforms to facilitate enumeration operations across the country.

The newly launched digital systems include:

 Houselisting Block Creator (HLBC) web application: A web application which enables officers to digitally create houselisting blocks using satellite imagery, ensuring standardised geographic coverage across the country

 HLO Mobile Application: A secure offline mobile application for enumerators to collect and upload houselisting data. Only enumerators registered on the CMMS portal can access the application. The app enables direct field-to-server data transmission, eliminating traditional paperwork. All houselisting data will be collected through this app, which can only be operated using registered mobile numbers. The application can be operated in 16 regional languages

 Self-Enumeration (SE) portal: The SE portal is a secure web-based facility that allows eligible respondents within a household to submit their household information online prior to field operations. Upon successful submission, a unique self-enumeration ID will be generated. This ID will be shared with the enumerator, based on which further verification will be carried out

 Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal: A centralised, web-based digital platform designed to plan, manage, execute and monitor all census-related activities across administrative levels. Officers at sub-district, district and state levels can track enumeration progress, field performance and operational readiness in real-time through an integrated dashboard.