Census Glossary
Simple explanations of census terms
Census
An official count of every person and household in a country, conducted by the government at regular intervals.
Captcha
A security challenge (usually distorted letters/numbers) shown during registration to confirm you are a human and not a bot.
District
An administrative subdivision of a State or Union Territory. You must select your district during census registration.
Draft
A saved but not yet submitted version of your census form. You can return and edit it before clicking Final Submit.
Enumerator
A trained government official who visits households to collect census data during the field operations phase.
Final Submit
The action of permanently submitting your census data. Once done, no changes can be made.
Flush/Pour-flush Latrine
A toilet that uses water to flush waste into a sewer, septic tank, or pit.
Head of Household
The person recognised by the household as its head. They are responsible for filling the census form. Their name cannot be changed after registration.
Houselisting
The phase of the census where enumerators visit every building to record details about the structure, occupancy, and basic amenities.
Housing Census
The part of the census that records information about the physical condition of houses — walls, roof, floor materials, etc.
Houselisting Operations
The official term for the phase (May 16 – June 14 in Maharashtra) when enumerators visit every building and record census data.
OTP
One-Time Password. A 6-digit code sent to your mobile number to verify your identity during census registration.
PIN Code
A 6-digit Postal Index Number (PIN) that identifies your post office area. Required for location identification in the census.
Self-Enumeration (SE)
A method where the head of a household fills in the census form online themselves, without waiting for an enumerator to visit.
SE ID
An 11-digit unique identification number starting with 'H' that is generated after you submit your census form online. You must share this with the enumerator.
Schedule
The official census questionnaire form used to collect data from each household.
Scheduled Caste (SC)
Communities officially recognised by the Indian Constitution as socially and educationally disadvantaged castes.
Scheduled Tribe (ST)
Indigenous communities officially recognised by the Indian Constitution as traditionally living in forest or hilly areas.
Septic Tank
An underground concrete or plastic tank that collects and partially treats sewage from a toilet.
Self-Enumeration Portal
The official government website (se.census.gov.in) where households can fill their census data online.