Bengal Census Has No Connection With Politics: CM Suvendu Adhikari

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has initiated the state's forthcoming census operations, firmly dismissing any suggestions of political motivation behind the massive administrative exercise.

Speaking on Friday after chairing a high-level meeting with Principal Census Officers at the state secretariat, Nabanna, the Chief Minister announced that the extensive data collection programme will commence on the 1st of August and conclude by the end of February next year.

During his address, Adhikari drew attention to the shifting demographic landscape within certain regions of West Bengal. He attributed these compositional changes to unchecked infiltration, specifically pointing to the vulnerabilities along the unfenced 600-kilometre border that the state shares with neighbouring Bangladesh. Despite these complex border dynamics, the Chief Minister maintained that the upcoming demographic survey remains a purely administrative duty, entirely divorced from regional politics.

This announcement marks a significant milestone, signalling the commencement of census operations in West Bengal after a prolonged 15-year hiatus. The last national census was conducted in 2011, and this upcoming iteration, designated as Census 2027, will be the 16th nationwide census in India's history, as well as the eighth since the country gained independence. It is strictly governed by the provisions of the Census Act of 1948 and the subsequently amended Census Rules of 1990.

In a move for the Directorate of Census Operations, the 2027 exercise will be conducted entirely through digital means, introducing a self-enumeration facility for the very first time. Between the 1st and the 15th of August, residents across the state will have the unprecedented opportunity to submit their household details independently via the official online portal (se.census.gov.in).

A senior census official told UNI that the introduction of this digital option aims to streamline the process and significantly reduce the time enumerators spend at individual doorsteps. Residents wishing to utilise this facility can log in securely using their mobile numbers, fill in their requisite basic information at their own convenience, and pinpoint their location on a digital map. Upon successful submission, the system will generate a unique Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID).

This initial 15-day online window will immediately precede the traditional door-to-door phase. However, even for those who opt for self-enumeration, a brief doorstep visit will still occur. Residents will merely need to provide their generated SE ID to the visiting enumerators for rapid verification and the final confirmation of records, effectively eliminating the need for a lengthy manual interview.

Crucially, officials have reassured the public that the conventional house-to-house enumeration process will run concurrently with the new online system. This hybrid approach guarantees that comprehensive demographic data can be collected offline, ensuring that individuals who are not particularly tech-savvy are not excluded from the national count.

For this field collection, enumerators will forgo traditional paper forms, instead utilising bespoke mobile applications on smartphones to directly input and submit data. To ensure maximum accessibility across diverse communities, both the self-enumeration portal and the enumerators' mobile applications will be available in 16 languages, including English and Hindi, paving the way for India's most technologically advanced census to date.