Canvasser Method UPSC relevant
In the canvasser method the enumerator visits each household, asks the questions and records the answers personally — as opposed to the 'householder method', where the household fills the form itself.
The Census of India has traditionally used the canvasser approach for the whole country, which lets it cover respondents of all literacy levels. The official Census 2027 FAQ describes exactly two ways of being counted: the Canvasser Method, where 'an Enumerator visits your household and records your information using a Mobile App by asking the necessary questions', and the new Self-Enumeration method via the SE portal — after which an enumerator still visits to verify the SE ID.
Census 2027 is thus the first Indian census to combine digital canvassing with an optional householder-style channel.