Census functionaries being trained to maintain neutrality

Panaji: With the house-listing and housing census set tobegin in Goa from April 16, preparations have begun for Census 2027 with the training of functionaries.

“All census functionaries are also being sensitised and trained to maintain neutrality, handle personal questions sensitively and ensure confidentiality of data,” a state official said.


This will be the first digital census to take place in India.

“The entire training programme has been planned in such a way that all census functionaries in the hierarchy have a thorough understanding of census concepts and questionnaires along with technical knowledge and understanding on the use of digital platforms such as the census management and monitoring system (CMMS), house-listing block creator (HLBC) web application, and house-listing operations mobile app which will be used to collect data pertaining to 33 questions in the first phase,” said the official.

Training for charge census officials for Goa and their respective census clerks and technical assistants has already been completed on Feb 27.

“Charge census officers, who will be in charge of their respective jurisdictions, were trained at the secretariat. Now, state-level master trainers are being trained who will in turn train field trainers. These field trainers will train at least 3,000 enumerators and supervisors in the state before the April 16 commencement of the house-listing phase in Goa,” said the official.

Provision for self-enumeration in Goa for the general public will be available from April 1 to 15, and the month-long house-listing operation will be conducted from April 16 to May 15.

For the first time, a self-enumeration option has been made available to households in Census 2027, wherein respondents can fill a census questionnaire by themselves online.

The household can access the portal by entering their mobile number and validating it through a one-time password. Later, enumerators — during their door-to-door visits — will verify and validate the data submitted by households that have completed self-enumeration.

Census 2027, which was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will begin with the house-listing and housing census that will precede the population census to be held in 2027.