Chennai, June 2:
The population census in Tamil Nadu is set to begin on August 1 as part of India’s 16th national census exercise, which will be conducted between 2026 and 2027 in two phases, officials said.
The decennial census, last held in 2011, was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the first time, the nationwide exercise will be carried out in a fully digital format, with provisions for self-enumeration by citizens. Authorities said the modernised system is aimed at improving accuracy, speed, and data accessibility.
The first phase of the census will be conducted from April 1 to September 30, during which data on housing conditions and basic amenities will be collected. The second phase is scheduled to begin in February next year.
Around 32 lakh government officials are expected to be deployed across the country for the massive exercise. Preliminary census operations have already begun in several states, while Puducherry commenced its process from yesterday.
Officials said that during the census, 33 questions will be asked covering demographic, social, and economic details. They also cautioned that providing false information could attract a penalty of ₹1,000.
With Tamil Nadu scheduled to begin its census operations on August 1, preparations are underway to ensure smooth implementation of the large-scale digital enumeration process.