Just days before the first phase of Census 2027 kicks off from April 1, the government has opened a portal that not only facilitates the option of self-enumeration but also provides clarity through frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the 33 sets of queries released earlier in January. These questions will be asked during the houselisting and housing count.The houselisting and house-to-house count form the first phase of the Census, which will continue till September 30. Some of the questions relate to devices such as radios, televisions, Internet access and smartphones used by families, as well as definitions of the head of household, caste and even married couples.The portal has provided a series of sub-questions related to theses in the FAQs. One such question is: “We watch TV using a Fire Stick. Which option applies?” The answer says, “Record ‘any other device’.” Another question asks, “I don’t have a landline but have smartphones and basic phones. What should I record?” The answer is, “Record ‘mobile phone/smartphone’.”Yet another query is, “My mobile works like a TV or computer. Should I record it as TV or computer?” The reply states, “No. Only record if you own an actual TV or computer.”“My mobile has FM radio. Should I count it as radio available?” goes another question. The FAQ response is, “Yes. Record ‘on mobile/smartphone’.”Under the category “Number of married couples living in the household”, an interesting question is, “Will a couple in a live-in relationship be considered a married couple?” The portal answers, “If they consider their relationship as a stable union, they should be treated as a married couple.”Another question asks, “My spouse is away temporarily. Will we still be counted as a couple?” The answer is, “Yes, if your spouse is a normal resident of the household.”Under the category “Head of the Household”, the question asked is, “Who is considered the head of the household?” The reply states: “The person recognised by the family as the head, who manages household affairs and makes important decisions, is considered the head of the household. The head need not necessarily be the eldest male member, but can be of any gender or a younger member normally residing in the household.”Under the “SC/ST or Other” category, one query is, “My caste is not available in the list provided by the Census. What caste should I select?” The answer says, “Each state and UT has its own notified list of SCs and STs. The Census has compiled and provided the list for all states/UTs. If your caste or tribe name is not listed in your state/UT list, you can select ‘other’ from the options.”