The training for officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation for Census 2027 began in the city on Monday. The training session was held at the Amma Maligai auditorium in the Ripon Buildings complex, presided over by M. Sundaresh Babu, Director of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu, in the presence of GCC Commissioner and Principal Census Officer G. S. Sameeran.

Training sessions are scheduled from May 25 to May 27, 2026. On Monday, master trainers appointed by the Directorate of Census Operations trained GCC Deputy Commissioners, Revenue Officers, Additional Revenue Officers, Senior Revenue Officers, Assistant Commissioners, and other officials.

According to a press release, separate training would also be provided to field trainers for enumerators and supervisors. Deputy Commissioner (Revenue and Finance) and City Census Officer M. Prithiviraj and other Corporation officials participated in the meeting.

The Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases across the country in accordance with guidelines issued by the Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu.

The first phase, comprising House Listing Operations and Housing Census, will include a 15-day self-enumeration period from July 17 to July 31, 2026, followed by house listing operations from August 1 to August 30, 2026, the release said.

The second phase, Population Enumeration, will be conducted in February 2027, the release added.

The release stated that the self-enumeration portal would enable eligible family members to upload household details online before field operations begin.

A unique Self Enumeration ID would be generated after successful submission and should be shared with enumerators for verification purposes.

The Directorate of Census Operations had already notified a detailed questionnaire containing 33 questions for the House Listing Operations and Housing Census phase in January 2026, the release mentioned.

The release said around 11,000 enumerators and supervisors would be engaged for the Census exercise and training modules had been prepared to ensure data quality, accuracy, and efficiency.

Welfare schemes

According to Chennai Corporation officials, discussions at the meeting focused on data collection for the formulation of future welfare and development schemes.

“Routine civic operations had been affected over the past year owing to continuous special assignments, including preparations for the Census. The GCC staff had earlier been engaged in conducting Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam camps, ahead of the monsoon, and were subsequently deployed for election-related work,” said officials at the zonal level.