Census 2026 to begin with houselisting operations on April 1

The Government of India has announced that the first phase of the 2026 Census, involving Houselisting Operations (HLO), will commence from April 1, 2026. This marks the formal launch of the 16th decennial Census and the eighth since Independence. 

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan confirmed



the timeline and requested cooperation in preparatory tasks.

Ahead of the operations, the appointment of supervisors and enumerators, along with the distribution of responsibilities, will be undertaken in collaboration with state and district administrations. Over 34 lakh personnel, including enumerators, supervisors, and 1.3 lakh Census functionaries, are expected to be deployed for this massive nationwide exercise.