The Houselisting Schedule: All 34 Items Collected in Phase 1

The Government notified the Phase 1 (Houselisting and Housing Census) questions in January 2026 — news reports of January 23, 2026 describe '33 questions'; the PIB Backgrounder's official infographic lists 34 numbered items (item 1, Line Number, is a record identifier filled by the enumerator, and item 34 is the optional mobile number — which reconciles the two counts). Full list as published by PIB, grouped in four blocks: CONDITION OF THE HOUSE — (1) Line number; (2) Building number; (3) Census house number; (4) Predominant material of floor of the census house; (5) Predominant material of wall; (6) Predominant material of roof; (7) Ascertain use of census house (residence, shop, office, school, etc.); (8) Condition of the census house.

HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION — (9) Household number; (10) Total number of persons normally residing in the household; (11) Name of the head of the household; (12) Sex of the head of the household; (13) Whether the head of the household belongs to SC/ST/Other; (14) Ownership status of the census house; (15) Number of dwelling rooms exclusively in possession of the household; (16) Number of married couple(s) living in the household.

AMENITIES AVAILABLE TO THE HOUSEHOLD — (17) Main source of drinking water; (18) Availability of drinking water source (within premises/near/away); (19) Main source of lighting; (20) Access to latrine; (21) Type of latrine; (22) Waste water outlet; (23) Availability of bathing facility; (24) Availability of kitchen and LPG/PNG connection; (25) Main fuel used for cooking. ASSETS POSSESSED BY THE HOUSEHOLD — (26) Radio/transistor; (27) Television; (28) Access to internet; (29) Laptop/computer; (30) Telephone/mobile phone/smartphone; (31) Bicycle/scooter/motorcycle/moped; (32) Car/jeep/van.

OTHERS — (33) Main cereal consumed in the household; (34) Mobile number (for census-related communications only). Operational details: the schedule is canvassed during each State/UT's 30-day window between April 1 and September 30, 2026, by an enumerator using the HLO mobile app, or answered online during the preceding 15-day self-enumeration window (all household questions can be answered online; the enumerator later verifies via SE ID and adds building/census-house numbers and use-of-house).

No documents are required for any answer. Comparison: the 2011 houselisting schedule had 35 questions; 2027 drops some 2011 items and adds internet access, smartphone, and the census-communication mobile number. The houselisting round also creates the frame (household lists and geo-referenced blocks) used for Phase 2 Population Enumeration in February 2027. India Disability Watch and news outlets (Siasat, Madhyamam) reproduce the notified 33-question list consistent with the PIB infographic.