Geo-tagging of Buildings During Upcoming Census

Context: India’s next Census will geo-tag all buildings across India as part of the exercise for the first time. It will be the first digital Census, with options for self-enumeration and caste-wise counting after 1931.

What is Geo-tagging?

• Geo-tagging is the process of marking the latitude and longitude coordinates of buildings on a Geographic Information System (GIS) map.
• It creates a digital location identity for every building/structure on the surface of the Earth.
• Helps uniquely identify and categorise each building as residential, non-residential, partly residential, or landmark.

How will Geo-tagging of Buildings take place?

• Conducted during the Houselisting Operations (HLO) – the first phase of the Census (April–September 2026).
• Enumerators will:
  • Visit buildings in their assigned Houselisting Blocks (HLBs).
  • Use Digital Layout Mapping (DLM)
  • Geo-tag buildings with mobile applications.
• Each HLB is a well-defined unit covering about 120–150 households, ensuring systematic coverage.

How will Geo-tagging of Buildings help?

• Accuracy in Data: Helps map houses precisely and avoid duplication.
  • Ensures an exact count of houses, households, and population.
• Efficient Census Operations: Reduces the workload of enumerators.
  • Allows better monitoring of progress.
• Policy & Planning Benefits: Provides up-to-date information on housing and infrastructure.
  • Supports welfare schemes (e.g., PM Awas Yojana–Gramin & PMAY–Urban) by mapping housing shortages.
• Governance Use: Geo-tagged houses can be reused in other govt schemes and surveys.
  • Enhances transparency and accountability in service delivery.

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