If you live in Kanpur, the biggest exercise in counting India's people reaches your doorstep within weeks. Census 2027 is being done in two phases, and for Uttar Pradesh the second phase, the actual head count, starts earlier than for most of the country. Here is what Kanpur families need to know.
The dates that matter
According to Kanpur District Magistrate Mahendra Singh Tanwar, who briefed reporters as reported by Navbharat Live on 30 October 2026, the schedule is:
- 16 to 30 November 2026: self-enumeration online
- 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027: enumerators visit every home
- 5 to 9 January 2027: revision round
The Registrar General's schedule, reported by ETV Bharat and National Herald on 5 September, sets the same dates for Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab and the non-snow-bound areas of Uttarakhand. The reference date for these states is midnight on 5 January 2027. The 16 November start also falls on the last day of Chhath, so many families will be busy; the window runs a full two weeks, though.
Why Uttar Pradesh is going early
National Herald reports that these four states were moved ahead because they are expected to hold Assembly elections in the first half of 2027 and their terms end by May 2027. The rest of the country has a reference date of 1 March 2027. Some older district web pages, including the Lucknow district page when we checked it, still say the population count is expected in February 2027, so go by the later notification and your district magistrate's announcement.
How self-enumeration works
Self-enumeration is optional. A family fills in its details on the census self-enumeration portal, se.census.gov.in, which the Lucknow district page says is available in 16 languages. After submitting, the family receives a unique ID. When the enumerator visits, you hand over this ID and they verify the record on their phone instead of asking every question again. Families that do not self-enumerate will simply be counted by the enumerator, who also collects data digitally. This is the first digital census in India, and the 16th overall and eighth since Independence, according to the DM.
What will be asked
The DM said the form has 40 questions, covering name, age, sex, date and place of birth, marital status, religion, languages, education, employment, migration, disability and access to banking. The Lucknow district page also says caste enumeration will be included in this phase, as decided by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, but the Kanpur briefing did not list it, so check the official question list before you fill the form.
How many people are involved in Kanpur
Kanpur will deploy 10,467 enumerators and supervisors. The first phase, house-listing, ran in Kanpur Nagar from 22 May to 20 June 2026, so the same administrative machinery is already familiar with the city's wards and mohallas.
Privacy and fraud warning
Mr Tanwar said personal census records are protected under the Census Act, 1948. He warned residents never to share bank passwords, ATM or UPI PINs or OTPs with anyone claiming to be from the census. A genuine enumerator needs only the household's details and, if you have one, your self-enumeration ID, not money or banking secrets.
What to do now
Keep a list of family members with dates of birth, education and work details ready before 16 November. Use only the official portal, and ask the enumerator for identification when they arrive from 1 December. We will update this explainer if the district administration announces ward-wise schedules or helpdesk numbers.
