Kolkata: Census 2027 is set to start in Bengal on Aug 1 with a fortnight-long self-enumeration phase, during which individuals have to answer a set of 34 questions online.The data to be collected during the census, which is being held after 15 years, will be considered valid as of March 1, 2027, the reference date for the exercise.State govt officials said citizens will be “encouraged” to fill the self-enumeration form on a dedicated portal — https://se.census.gov.in — between Aug 1 and Aug 14, after which field officials will start their door-to-door visits. The officials, or enumerators, will verify the data entered during self-enumeration. If required, enumerators will also help people fill out the online forms.The 34 questions cover housing condition, family composition and access to basic amenities, officials said. The questionnaire also seeks information about materials used for the construction of a house, ownership status of a house, head of the household, source of drinking water, sanitation facilities, drainage, cooking arrangements, internet connectivity, ownership status of communication devices and vehicles, and primary food grain of the family.“The respondents have to state the gender of each family member. If there is any transgender person in the family, that has to be mentioned, too,” said an official.After the form is submitted, the respondent has to enter an OTP sent to his or her registered mobile number.The data collected during the self-enumeration phase will be the basis of Houselisting and Housing Census, the second phase of Census 2027 that will see enumerators visit every house from Aug 16 to Sept 14 to verify data.“The last and most extensive phase, to be held in Feb 2027, will involve a comprehensive household survey. Each enumerator is expected to cover 150 to 180 households during this phase. Satellite images will be used to map and verify census areas,” an official said.“Public awareness of the exercise has begun. Announcements are being made at Metro stations across Kolkata. Training for the census enumerators is underway in many places. A toll-free helpline — 1855 — has been launched to assist citizens with queries about the census,” the official said.The last nationwide population census was held in 2011. Although India traditionally undertakes a census every 10 years, the exercise scheduled for 2021 was deferred because of Covid .Govt officials say the census is far more than a population count. It provides a comprehensive database on housing quality and access to drinking water, sanitation, electricity, cooking fuel and other socio-economic indicators that shape public policy.
