New Delhi, March 30
Couples in live-in relationships who consider their partnership a stable union should be treated as married for the Census, according to frequently asked questions published on the government’s self-enumeration portal.
The clarification appears in guidance issued for the 16th Census, as India opens its online self-enumeration facility for people choosing to submit their details digitally.
The portal will be available for both phases of the exercise — the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) and the Population Enumeration.
In one of the FAQs, the portal asks: “Will a couple in a live-in relationship be considered a married couple?” It answers: “If they consider their relationship as a stable union, they should be treated as a married couple.”
The government has already notified 33 questions that will be asked during the first phase of the Census, which begins on 1 April 2026.
These include details about the materials used in flooring, walls and roofing, the number of married couples in a household, the sex of the head of the household, the type of cereals consumed, access to household amenities, and the types of vehicles owned.
Enumerators will begin by recording the building number — municipal, local authority or Census number — followed by the Census house number and the predominant materials used in the floor, walls and roof.
They will also ask how the house is being used, its condition, and the number of people who normally live there.
Officials will further collect information about the head of the household, including name, sex, social category such as Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, and the ownership status of the house.
The FAQs have been published to help the public answer questions more easily during the nationwide exercise.
