Census 2026: 33 Questions Enumerators Will Ask Punjab and Chandigarh Residents

India’s first digital census begins April 1. Enumerators will knock on doors in Punjab from May 15 and Chandigarh from May 1. Here are all 33 questions — and everything you need to know before they arrive.

North Desk Bureau

Chandigarh, March 31

For the first time in over 15 years, a government enumerator will knock on your door, open a smartphone app, and begin recording your life — the material of your roof, the grain on your plate, the vehicle in your porch, and whether your household has internet access.

India’s 16th Census — the 8th since Independence — formally kicked off on April 1, 2026. The last one was conducted in 2011. The 2021 census was indefinitely deferred after the COVID-19 pandemic, creating the longest gap in India’s census history since the headcount began in 1872.

This time, everything is digital. No paper forms, no pen. Around 30 lakh enumerators across the country will collect data through a mobile app. And for the first time, households can fill in their own information online — before the enumerator arrives — through the government portal se.census.gov.in.

Here is everything a Punjab, Haryana, or Chandigarh resident needs to know.

WHEN WILL THEY COME TO YOUR DOOR?

Punjab: May 15 to June 13, 2026 Chandigarh (UT): May 1 to May 30, 2026 Haryana: May 1 to May 30, 2026

Self-enumeration (online, before the door-to-door visit) opens:

• Punjab: April 30 to May 14, 2026
• Chandigarh and Haryana: April 16 to April 30, 2026

THE 33 QUESTIONS: A PLAIN-LANGUAGE GUIDE

The government has notified 33 questions for Phase 1 of the census — the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO). These cover your building, your household, your amenities, and your assets. Below, the full set explained in the language of a North India household.

SECTION A: YOUR BUILDING

Q1. What is your building number? The enumerator will record the municipal or local authority number assigned to your building. You don’t need to do anything — they will verify this from administrative records.

Q2. What is the census house number? Each distinct unit within a building is assigned a census house number for tracking purposes. Again, the enumerator assigns this.

Q3. What material is used in the floor of your house? Options include: mud/unburnt brick, wood/bamboo, burnt brick, stone/flag, cement/concrete, mosaic/floor tiles, or other. Most urban homes in Punjab and Chandigarh will fall under cement/tiles.

Q4. What material is used in the walls of your house? Grass/thatch/bamboo, plastic/polythene, mud/unburnt brick, wood, burnt brick, G.I./metal/asbestos, stone (packed or not), or concrete.

Q5. What material is used in the roof of your house? Grass/thatch/bamboo, plastic/polythene, mud, wood/timber, packed stone, G.I./metal/asbestos, burnt brick, concrete, or other.

SECTION B: USE AND CONDITION OF YOUR HOME

Q6. What is this house used for? Residence only; Residence-cum-other use; Shop/office; School/college; Hotel/lodge/guesthouse; Hospital/dispensary; Worship place; Factory/workshop; or Other non-residential use. Most readers will say: Residence only.

Q7. What is the condition of the house? Good; Liveable; Dilapidated. Be honest — this feeds national housing data, not municipal records.

SECTION C: WHO LIVES IN THE HOUSE

Q8. How many people normally live in this household? Count all usual residents — people who have been living here for six months or more, or intend to. Do not count guests or visitors. Do count family members who are temporarily away (students, those on work postings).

Q9. What is the name of the head of the household? The person considered the primary decision-maker of the household. Can be male or female.

Q10. What is the sex of the head of the household? Male, Female, or Transgender/Other.

Q11. Does the head of the household belong to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or Other? This is about the head’s community, not the entire household’s. Caste details for all members will be collected separately in Phase 2 (February 2027).

Q12. What is the ownership status of the house? Options: Owned; Rented; Neither (employer’s/government’s quarters, etc.).

Important new guideline: If you live in a rented house but own property elsewhere in India — whether parental or purchased — you should select: ‘Rented but has own house elsewhere’.

Q13. How many rooms does the household occupy for sleeping? Count only rooms used for sleeping. Do not count bathrooms, kitchens, verandahs, or rooms used exclusively for other purposes.

Q14. How many married couples normally live in this household? A new and more detailed question compared to previous censuses. Count all married couples — including those where one partner may be away temporarily.

SECTION D: WATER AND SANITATION

Q15. What is the main source of drinking water? Tap from treated source (inside or outside premises); Tube well/borehole; Covered/uncovered well; Spring; River/canal/lake; Rainwater; Tanker; Bottled water; or Other.

Q16. How close is the main drinking water source? Within premises; Within 0.5 km; 0.5 km to 1 km; More than 1 km; or Not applicable.

Q17. What is the main source of lighting? Electricity (solar or otherwise); Kerosene; Solar energy; Other oil; Any other; No lighting.

Q18. Do you have a latrine (toilet) within the premises? Yes or No.

Q19. If yes, what type of latrine? Flush/pour flush (connected to sewer, septic tank, or elsewhere); Pit latrine (with or without slab); Night soil disposed into open drain; or Service latrine (night soil removed by human agency).

Q20. Where is wastewater from the bathroom/kitchen discharged? Closed drainage; Open drainage; No drainage.

Q21. Do you have a bathroom within the premises? Yes or No.

Q22. Do you have a kitchen within the premises? Yes or No.

SECTION E: FUEL AND UTILITIES

Q23. Do you have an LPG or PNG connection? Yes or No. This applies to both cylinder-based LPG (Ujjwala or commercial) and piped natural gas connections.

Q24. What is the main fuel used for cooking? Firewood; Crop residue; Cow dung cake; Kerosene; LPG/PNG; Electricity; Biogas; Any other; No cooking in household.

SECTION F: ASSETS AND TECHNOLOGY

Q25. Do you have a radio or transistor? Yes or No.

Q26. Do you have a television? Yes or No.

Q27. Do you have internet access in the household? Yes or No. (New addition — not asked in 2011.)

Q28. Do you have a laptop or computer? Yes or No.

Q29. Do you have a telephone, mobile phone, or smartphone? Yes or No.

Q30. Do you have a bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, or moped? Yes or No.

Q31. Do you have a car, jeep, or van? Yes or No.

SECTION G: FOOD AND CONTACT

Q32. What is the main cereal consumed by your household? Rice; Wheat; Jourdain millet/bajra; Maize; Sorghum/jowar; Any other; No cereal consumed.

For most Punjab and Haryana households: Wheat.

Q33. What is a mobile number for census-related communication? A working number where census authorities can reach you for verification purposes. This is not linked to Aadhaar and will not be used for any other government programme.

YOUR TOP QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q: Is this census compulsory? What if I refuse to answer? Yes. Participation is mandatory under the Census Act, 1948. Wilful refusal to answer, or giving false information, can attract a penalty. However, in practice, enforcement is rare. Cooperation is strongly advised.

Q: Will my answers be used against me in court, or affect my Ration Card/Aadhaar/benefits? No. Under the Census Act, 1948, all individual data is strictly confidential and cannot be shared with any other government department, used in courts, or used to determine eligibility for any welfare scheme.

Q: Is this the same as the caste census? Not yet. Phase 1 (May–June in Punjab) is only about housing and household assets. Caste enumeration will happen in Phase 2 — Population Enumeration — in February 2027. That will be the first caste count since 1931.

Q: Will my live-in partner be counted? Yes. The government has issued an official clarification: if a live-in couple consider their relationship a stable union, they should be declared as a married couple for census purposes.

Q: My parents live in the village, but I am in Chandigarh for work. Where will I be counted? You will be counted where you usually reside — the place where you have been living for six months or more, or where you intend to stay. If you are in Chandigarh on a long-term basis, you are a usual resident of Chandigarh.

Q: What if my house is rented and I also own a flat elsewhere? Select: ‘Rented but has own house elsewhere’. This applies even if the owned property is ancestral/parental.

Q: Can I fill this information myself before the enumerator arrives? Yes. This is the new self-enumeration option. Go to se.census.gov.in, register with a mobile number, fill your details in any of 16 languages, and get a 16-digit Self-Enumeration ID. Share this with the enumerator when they visit — it will save time and reduce errors.

Q: The enumerator will come on a phone, not paper. Is that real? Yes. This is India’s first fully digital census. All 30 lakh enumerators will use a government mobile app (on Android and iOS). The app works offline too, for rural and remote areas without connectivity.

Q: Roughly how many people will be enumerated in Punjab? Punjab’s population was 2.77 crore in the 2011 Census. Estimates suggest it is now approximately 3.3–3.5 crore. Around 65,000 state government employees will conduct the exercise across the state.

Q: Will the enumerator ask about my land or property value? No. The census will not ask about land holdings, property valuation, income, bank accounts, or other financial details. Housing ownership (owned/rented) is asked, but nothing further about assets or wealth.

Q: What happens after Phase 1? Population Enumeration (Phase 2) begins in February 2027, using March 1, 2027 as the reference date. That phase will collect details of every individual — age, education, occupation, migration, disability, and for the first time since Independence, caste.

AT A GLANCE: KEY DATES FOR NORTH INDIA

State/UT	Self-Enumeration (Online)	Enumerator Visits
Punjab	April 30 – May 14, 2026	May 15 – June 13, 2026
Chandigarh	April 16 – April 30, 2026	May 1 – May 30, 2026
Haryana	April 16 – April 30, 2026	May 1 – May 30, 2026

Self-enumerate at: se.census.gov.in The portal is available in 16 languages, including Punjabi and Hindi.

North Desk is an independent digital news publication covering Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the North Indian diaspora.