Self-enumeration exercise for India's 16th Census kicks-off in West Bengal
West Bengal has launched the self-enumeration phase for India's 16th Census, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari participating digitally. The process allows citizens to submit their data online through a secure portal until mid-August.
Why it matters
This marks the first fully digital census in India, representing a significant shift in how the government collects demographic data for national planning.
The self-enumeration exercise of India's 16th Census kicked off in West Bengal on Saturday (August 1, 2026), with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari filling up his own form digitally.
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The window for the first phase of the once-in-a-decade population survey will remain open from August 1 to August 15, during which people can upload their details on the portal se.census.gov.in .
This will be followed by a house-listing exercise from August 16 to September 14.
Describing the exercise as the country's first "100% digital" Census, Mr. Adhikari urged people across West Bengal to participate in the survey and cooperate with the authorities.
"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.
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