Patna: The 2027 Census formally began in Patna on Thursday. Announcing this at the district collectorate, principal census officer-cum-district magistrate Thiyagarajan S M said the first phase—house listing and housing enumeration—will be conducted from May 2 to May 31, 2026, preceded by a self-enumeration window from April 17 to May 1.The district magistrate said the upcoming census is significant as it will be the first fully digital exercise, with data collection carried out through smartphones using a dedicated mobile application. Citizens opting for self-enumeration will be able to submit details online through a process notified by the state’s revenue and land reforms department.Emphasising public participation, the DM said census data plays a crucial role in policy planning and assured that all information collected would remain confidential. “For the exercise, the administration has deployed over 14,000 personnel, including enumerators, supervisors and trainers. Training programmes are underway, while a district-level coordination committee and census cell are monitoring preparations,” he said.He assured citizens that all collected information will remain strictly confidential and be used solely for govt policy formulation. To manage this administrative task, the district administration has deployed a structured workforce. This includes 46 charge census officers, 12,071 enumerators, 2,031 supervisors and 222 field trainers.
