CHENNAI: Owing to the forthcoming Assembly election, Tamil Nadu has decided to opt for the last available window of the Census period, scheduled for August and September. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Census Operations has written to the State government to finalise dates for the house-listing and housing census.
In its letter, the directorate said the first phase of the Census, which is the house-listing survey, is scheduled to be conducted anytime between April 1 and September 30, and sought the State's concurrence on suitable dates.
The nationwide Census will be conducted in two phases between April 2026 and 2027. However, as Tamil Nadu is going to polls between March and May, Census activities cannot be taken up due to election engagements.
However, preliminary preparations have already started. M Sundaresh Babu, director of Census Operations, said four officials from the Chennai Census office have undergone training in Delhi, and they will train around 105 officials in Tamil Nadu, thus serving as master trainers for the Census exercise.
He added that the preparatory work was progressing alongside election-related duties to ensure readiness once the dates are finalised. The dates for the Census operations in Tamil Nadu will be decided by a core committee headed by the chief secretary, with M Saikumar, Commissioner for Revenue Administration, designated as the nodal officer for the exercise.
The core team will finalise the schedule for the house-listing and housing census and communicate the decision to the Directorate of Census Operations, officials said.
Explaining the operational framework, Sundaresh said that once the Assembly elections are completed, district collectors will function as principal census officers and supervise enumeration work in their respective districts.
"Nearly 1.5 lakh personnel, including district collectors, block development officers and tahsildars, will be involved in the Census exercise across the State," he said.
Officials said the preparatory arrangements were being put in place to ensure a smooth rollout of the Census once election commitments conclude and dates are notified.