Census to begin in Odisha on April 16; know 33 questions you may be asked

The first phase of state-wide census will begin in Odisha on April 16, during which census officials will visit households and ask as many as 33 questions. This phase will focus on the enumeration of houses and household assets, with officials going door to door to collect detailed information, official sources said on Friday.

Also Read: SIR to begin in Odisha in September after 24 years

Residents will be required to provide data related to their house, family members, and available facilities. The enumerators will record the name, gender, and caste of the head of the household, along with the house or building number. Details about the materials used for the walls, roof, and floor of the house, its current usage, and condition will also be collected.

Questions will cover family size, number of rooms in use, and the number of married couples living in the household. Information on sources of drinking water and electricity, toilet and bathroom usage, drainage of wastewater and cooking fuel—including whether there is an LPG connection—will be noted.

In addition, households will be asked about ownership of different electronic gadgets such as televisions, radios, laptops or computers, mobile phones, telephones, including internet connections. Details of vehicles like bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, cars, and jeeps will be recorded. Officials will also ask about staple food preferences and collect mobile phone numbers for official records.

“The Central government hereby instructs that Census Officers may, within the limits of the local areas for which they have been respectively appointed, ask all such questions to all persons on the items enumerated below for collecting information through the house-listing and housing census schedule in connection with the Census of India 2027,” a notification issued by the Central government in this regard mentioned.

Worth mentioning, Odisha is all set to launch the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme in coming April, after a long gap of around 24 years. The State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) had previously assured transparency, addressed objections from parties, and announced expansion in the booth numbers.