India's first fully digital Census begins: West Bengal CM leads self-enumeration

The self-enumeration exercise of India's 16th Census commenced in West Bengal on Saturday, August 1, 2026. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari became one of the first citizens to complete his form digitally, marking the start of a process that aims to make this the country's first 100% digital Census.

During the first phase, which runs from August 1 to August 15, citizens can upload their details on the official portal, se.census.gov.in. This phase is designed to allow individuals to verify and submit their own information, reducing the need for door-to-door visits and ensuring accuracy in data collection.

Following the self-enumeration window, a house-listing exercise will be carried out from August 16 to September 14. This next phase will involve enumerators visiting households to collect additional information and confirm the details submitted online, ensuring a comprehensive and reliable population count.

Chief Minister Adhikari urged all residents of West Bengal to participate actively in the Census. He emphasized that cooperation with authorities would help the state and the nation better plan for essential services, infrastructure, and developmental programmes. “I urge every person across West Bengal to cooperate with the authorities involved with the process and participate via self-enumeration in this Census,” he said.

Addressing concerns about privacy, the Chief Minister assured the public that the Census data is “absolutely secret” and protected by law. He stated that the information collected would only be used for statistical purposes, planning, and development, and that there is no scope for misuse of personal details. “Data collected will be used only for statistics, planning and development. There is no scope for any form of misuse of personal information in this Census,” he added.

The Census, conducted once every ten years, provides crucial data about the country's population, demographics, housing, and socio-economic conditions. This information helps the government formulate policies, allocate resources, and design welfare schemes. The introduction of a digital self-enumeration option marks a significant shift from previous exercises, which relied entirely on paper forms and manual collection.

Officials said that the portal has been designed to handle a large volume of users and that assistance will be available for those who face difficulties. The digital system is expected to streamline the process, reduce errors, and make the Census more transparent and accessible to all citizens.