Why in the news?

• Centre is planning to first Geo-tag all residential and non-residential buildings in the coming 2027 Census exercise.

Geo-Tagging of Buildings in Census 2027

• What is it?
  • Geo-tagging is the process of assigning unique latitude-longitude coordinates to every building and mapping it on a GIS (Geographic Information System) platform.
• Background
  • Traditional Method (Census 2011): Houselisting relied on hand‑drawn sketches and notional maps.
  • Existing Geo‑Tagging Practice: Limited to assets built under specific schemes (e.g., PM Awas Yojana Gramin/Urban).
• Working of Geo-Tagging:
  • Digital Layout Mapping (DLM): Enumerators will use a digital tool to capture coordinates of each building during the Houselisting Operations (HLO, 2026).
  • Houselisting Blocks (HLBs): Each village or town ward is divided into HLBs (well-defined areas with notional maps). Geo-referencing will create accurate digital boundaries of these blocks.
  • Technology: Web-based mapping application, satellite imagery, and administrative boundary overlays will be used.
• Significance
  • Accuracy: Replaces manual sketches with precise digital maps.
  • Workload planning: Helps estimate enumerators’ work more effectively.
  • Integration with Digital Census: Forms the backbone of India’s first fully digital Census (2027).
  • Policy utility: Data can aid housing schemes, infrastructure planning, and urban development.
  • Automatically generated digital maps: Replaces manual sketches with precise GIS-derived layouts.