The Census 2027 self-enumeration process launched in West Bengal on 1 August and will remain open for 15 days through 15 August, giving residents of the state a fortnight to register their household data through the official portal. The drive marks West Bengal's formal entry into a nationwide digital census exercise that has already progressed in several other states.

How to Complete Self-Enumeration

Residents can complete the process by visiting the dedicated government portal and filling in the mandatory information columns. On successful submission, the portal generates a unique 11-digit self-enumeration ID that each individual must retain. When enumerators subsequently visit households for physical verification, residents will need to share this ID — but will not be required to produce or upload any supporting documents at either stage, according to officials.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Commissioner and principal census officer for the KMC jurisdiction, Smita Pandey, confirmed this. “Those documents will also not be required to be provided when enumerators visit households of these individuals later,” she said. The self-enumeration approach, the portal states, is designed to improve data accuracy by allowing individuals to enter their own information directly.

Digital Census Operations This Time

Census operations in 2027 will be conducted digitally, with enumerators collecting data on mobile phones through a dedicated app. The collected data will then be uploaded directly to a central government server via the app — a significant departure from the paper-based enumeration of previous census cycles.

Why West Bengal Is Starting Late

West Bengal's delayed start has drawn political attention. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that the state is lagging behind others primarily because of what he described as the “lackadaisical approach” of the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Cabinet. Speaking to reporters after an emergency meeting on the matter at the state secretariat of Nabanna on Friday, Adhikari said the Union Government had sent a communiqué to the previous state government in February last year to initiate the census process.

“The previous state Cabinet did not act on that communiqué. The previous state government did not even bother to reply to the communiqué from the Union government. The previous state government did not start the work because of narrow political reasons. The previous Chief Secretary was waiting for a political consensus in the matter. Since the previous government did not do anything in the matter, the West Bengal government is lagging behind other states on this count,” Adhikari said.

What Happens Next

After the 15-day self-enumeration window closes on 15 August, enumerators will begin household visits to verify the data submitted online. Residents who complete self-enumeration will need their 11-digit ID ready for this stage. The shift to a fully digital data-collection model is expected to reduce transcription errors and speed up data processing at the central level. West Bengal's ability to close the gap with other states will depend on the pace of public uptake during this initial window.