Ratan Biswas, IAS Appointed Director of Census Operations, Tripura: Centre Issues Notification for House to House Survey Ahead of Census 2027

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, January 23, 2026

The Government of India has appointed Ratan Biswas, IAS, as the Director of Census Operations, Tripura, marking the beginning of formal preparations for the Census of India 2027 in the state.

In a related development, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has issued a key notification on 22 January 2026 for conducting the House Listing and Housing Census, a mandatory pre-census exercise to be carried out before the main population enumeration in 2027. The notification has been issued by the Office of the Registrar General of India under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948.

As per the notification, house-to-house surveys will be conducted by appointed Census Officers across Tripura and the rest of the country. During this phase, detailed information related to houses, households, and basic amenities will be collected from every family.

The House Listing and Housing Census will cover data on building and house numbers, construction materials of walls, roofs and floors, ownership status, number of rooms, and condition and use of houses. Information on households will include the number of family members, details of the head of the household, social category, and the number of married couples living in a household.

In addition, Census Officers will collect information on the availability of basic facilities such as drinking water, electricity, toilets, bathing facilities, drainage, kitchen and cooking fuel, as well as digital access including mobile phones, internet, televisions, and computers. Details of vehicles owned by households and the main cereal consumed will also be recorded. A mobile number will be collected strictly for census-related communication.

Officials clarified that the information collected during the house-to-house survey will be used only for official census purposes and is mandatory under the Census Act. The data will play a crucial role in government planning, policy formulation, and implementation of welfare and development programmes.

With the appointment of Ratan Biswas, IAS, as Director of Census Operations, Tripura, and the issuance of the central notification, preparations for the Census 2027 in the state have formally gathered momentum.

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