The Registrar General of India (RGI) has launched a national toll-free helpline, 1855, along with a WhatsApp chatbot to assist the public and field staff during Census 2027, as the country begins the first phase of its decadal exercise.
The helpline has been introduced to address queries related to the Housing Listing and Housing Enumeration (HLO) phase, which is currently underway. Officials said the multilingual facility will cater to enumerators, supervisors and the general public across states and Union Territories.
"For specific Census queries, calls from the public will be connected to the respective state Directorate of Census Operations for resolution," the RGI said in a communication.
The authorities have ensured interconnectivity of the toll-free number with all landline and mobile operators to facilitate seamless access.
The Census Commissioner also launched a WhatsApp chatbot to provide real-time assistance and guidance to users.
Census 2027 will be the eighth such exercise since Independence and will be conducted in two phases. The ongoing first phase, house-listing and housing census, will continue from April to September 2026, followed by population enumeration in February 2027.
For the first time, the Census will be conducted in a fully digital format, allowing citizens to opt for self-enumeration through a dedicated portal and respond to 33 notified questions.
The 2021 Census had been deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.