Gujarat Census Deferred Amid Local Body Elections

Surat: The census exercise scheduled to commence in Gujarat has been postponed following the announcement of local self-government elections. As per earlier plans, the online census was to begin on April 5, with house listing activities slated from April 20.

However, considering the election process, the state government has temporarily suspended the census programme. Officials stated that fresh dates for the exercise will be announced at a later stage.

Sources indicated that the Census Department had proposed a delay, citing potential disruptions due to the elections. The state government has accepted this proposal.

Nationwide Census Phase Underway

Meanwhile, the first phase of the nationwide census began on April 1 and will continue until September 30, 2026. This phase focuses on ‘house listing’, which involves enumeration of residential structures.

The second phase is scheduled for February 2027, during which caste-related data will be collected. Notably, this will be the first time since independence that caste data is included in the census. The last such exercise was conducted in 1931.

33 Questions to Be Asked

The census will include a total of 33 questions. Although various claims about the questionnaire were circulating on social media, discussions have now subsided following the postponement of the census in Gujarat.

First Fully Digital Census

This will be the country’s first fully digital census. Enumerators will use a mobile application to collect data directly on smartphones, replacing the earlier paper-based system that required subsequent digitisation.

Additionally, geo-referencing technology will be used during house listing to map each structure digitally, ensuring accuracy and preventing duplication or omission.

Advisory for Citizens

Authorities have clarified that citizens should not respond to certain sensitive queries during the census. These include questions about income or bank balance, demands to show documents such as Aadhaar or PAN cards, and requests for confidential bank details like account numbers or OTPs.

Local Body Polls on April 26

Local self-government elections in Gujarat will be held on April 26, covering over 10,000 seats across 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats, and 260 taluka panchayats.

Polling will take place between 7 am and 6 pm. If required, re-polling will be conducted on April 27, while vote counting is scheduled for April 28. DeshGujarat