Census fieldwork gets under way in Kozhikode amid teething troubles
As everywhere else in the State, the house-to-house data verification phase of the Census began in Kozhikode district on Wednesday (July 1, 2026). However, the
As everywhere else in the State, the house-to-house data verification phase of the Census began in Kozhikode district on Wednesday (July 1, 2026). However, the actual Census exercise, with enumerators visiting households for data collection, will begin only in the next couple of days. Revenue officials attributed the delay to the distribution of kits, including identification badges, to enumerators. “Some kits arrived at the post office only around 11 a.m. on Wednesday. As such, they could not be distributed to the enumerators earlier,” Additional District Magistrate K.
Shareena told The Hindu. Raheesa C.E.V., a supervisor and key mid-level field officer who manages a team of five to six enumerators, said that during the initial three days, they would visit the house-listing block assigned to each enumerator, mark its boundaries and number the buildings. “Once the mapping is completed, the enumeration process will begin, during which we will visit every household to collect data,” she said. At the same time, the circular issued by the Directorate of General Education prohibiting Census work during school hours has put teachers on Census duty in a difficult position.
More than 90% of those deployed for the Census exercise were teachers, an office-bearer of the Kerala School Teachers Association said. “The three-day deadline for boundary marking and building numbering is quite stringent. In many schools, the duty has been assigned to all teachers except headteachers. Building numbering is a crucial part of the Census process, and we are also required to prepare a detailed map of the assigned area. The time available outside school hours is insufficient to complete these tasks. More time for this stage would make the process more manageable,” said Sandhya Krishnadas T., a schoolteacher.
However, Ms. Shareena maintained that the District Collector, who is also the Principal Census Officer, had sent a communication to the Assistant Educational Officers and the heads of all allied departments stating that action would be taken if the recent instruction disrupted the Census process. A total of 74,301 people have completed the self-enumeration process in Kozhikode district, according to officials.
The BriefWire