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Duties of Census Officers | Census of India 2027 Guidelines
Duties of Census Officers
The Census of India 2027 preparations are underway. Under the Census Act, 1948, specific duties are assigned to officers to ensure smooth operations during Houselisting and Population Enumeration. Failure to perform these duties may result in penalties under Section 11 of the Act.
Principal Census Officer
- Appoint District or Sub-Divisional Census Officers or Charge Officers.
- Supervise houselisting and census taking within the district limits.
- Arrange training for Enumerators, Supervisors, and Charge Officers.
- Forward results and schedules to the Director of Census Operations.
- Take action and prosecute defaulting persons with State Government sanction.
- Create users (District/M.Corp, Charge Admin) in CMMS portal.
- Monitor progress via CMMS Portal and field visits.
District / Sub-Divisional Officer
- Appoint Charge Officers and divide the area into charges and blocks.
- Compile up-to-date lists of Villages/Towns and prepare maps.
- Provide publicity to census programs for public response.
- Ensure digital entries of schedules are uploaded to the portal.
- Collect filled-in and blank forms along with abstracts.
- Forward forms, layout maps, and Charge Registers to the Director via Post.
- Consolidate Enumerator summaries for the entire district.
Charge Officer
- Appoint Supervisors and Enumerators; create their user accounts.
- Issue Appointment Letters and Identity Cards.
- Monitor activities via CMMS dashboard; manage printing/logistics.
- Form Houselisting Blocks (HLBs) and Enumeration Blocks (EBs).
- Select suitable training venues and distribute training materials.
- Prepare Village/Town Registers and Charge Registers.
- Ensure complete coverage of HLB/EB without omission.
- Provide provisional population figures within a week of completion.
Supervisor
- Install Mobile App, register device, and ensure Enumerators attend training.
- Finalize boundaries of HLB/EB by visiting the area with Enumerators.
- Draw Layout Map of Supervisory Circle showing landmarks.
- Check records via Mobile App after data synchronization.
- Ensure complete coverage of houses and household members.
- Verify no area between blocks is left out.
- Assist in enumerating Houseless households on the final night.
- Collect forms and certificates; forward to Charge Officer within two days.
Enumerator
- Install App, register device, and download HLB/EB maps.
- Prepare Layout Maps showing buildings and landmarks.
- Carry Appointment Letter and ID Card during visits.
- Fill data in the app during door-to-door visits.
- Collect and review Self-Enumeration IDs from households.
- Make multiple visits if houses are locked.
- Undertake revision rounds and update records.
- Hand over all documents to Supervisors if in paper mode.
⚠ Penalties under Section 11
Offenses include: Refusing to perform duties, neglecting diligence, making false returns, disclosing information without sanction, or destroying census documents.
Punishment: Fine up to one thousand rupees. For serious offenses (false returns, document destruction), imprisonment may extend to three years.