Census 2027 goes digital in Jamshedpur

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, April 1 : Marking a decisive shift towards technology-driven governance, the first phase of Census 2027 began in East Singhbhum on Wednesday- April 1, with authorities rolling out a hybrid model that combines traditional door-to-door enumeration with a robust online self-enumeration system.
In a first for the district, residents can now submit their details from home through a dedicated digital portal made available by the Government of India.
The platform, accessible in 16 languages, is aimed at enhancing participation, minimizing errors and ensuring greater transparency in data collection.
District Census Officer-cum-DCLR Sachchidanand Mahto said elaborate groundwork has been undertaken to ensure a seamless exercise. Nearly 4,000 enumerators—drawn from the ranks of teachers, anganwadi workers, sahiyas and other government functionaries—have been trained and deployed across urban and rural pockets.
Equipped with updated guidelines and digital tools, they have been tasked with conducting comprehensive household surveys.
The ongoing phase, known as “house listing,” forms the backbone of the census exercise. Enumerators will visit every household to gather detailed information on housing conditions, family composition and access to basic amenities.
The survey includes 33 structured questions covering critical indicators such as source of drinking water, electricity supply, sanitation facilities, internet access, ownership of assets and overall economic status.
These inputs are expected to provide a granular picture of living standards and infrastructure gaps across the district.
Officials emphasised that the integration of digital tools is not merely a procedural upgrade but a strategic move to improve the accuracy and reliability of data. The self-enumeration option is particularly expected to benefit urban residents, migrant populations and digitally literate households, while also reducing the burden on field staff.
The second phase of the census will shift focus to individual-level data, capturing demographic and socio-economic details such as age, gender, education, occupation and migration patterns.
This information plays a crucial role in policy formulation, welfare targeting and resource allocation.
The Census exercise, originally scheduled for 2021, had to be deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic, creating an unprecedented gap in official population data.
The 2027 rollout, therefore, carries added significance as it seeks to update a wide range of socio-economic indicators that underpin government planning at both state and national levels.
According to the 2011 Census, East Singhbhum had a population of approximately 13.5 lakh, with a relatively high literacy rate of around 84%.
The district reflected a balanced urban-rural composition, with 55% of residents living in urban areas and 45% in rural regions. The sex ratio stood at 949 females per 1,000 males, indicating scope for further improvement in gender balance.
Administrative officials have urged citizens to actively participate in the exercise—whether through direct interaction with enumerators or via the online platform—and to provide accurate and truthful information.
They stressed that reliable census data forms the foundation for effective governance, enabling targeted delivery of welfare schemes, infrastructure development and inclusive growth.
With a strong digital push and extensive field deployment, the Census 2027 exercise in East Singhbhum is being seen as a model for a more efficient, transparent and citizen-centric enumeration process.