New Delhi, June 30 -- The house-listing operations for the forthcoming census will begin from Apr. 1, 2026, marking the start of the first phase of the decennial exercise, the Registrar General of India has said.

In a letter to Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories, Census Commissioner and Registrar General of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan said the House-listing Operations and Housing Census shall begin on Apr. 1, 2026.

Before that the appointment of supervisors, enumerators and work distribution among them shall be done with cooperation from States and District Administrations, it said.

The census is a two-phase exercise - in phase one, that is, House-listing Operation (HLO), the housing conditions, assets and amenities o...