CM Samrat Choudhary Urges Bihar to Join Census Self-Enumeration
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Every decade, India counts itself — and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary wants every family in the state counted. On Sunday, 27 September 2026, Choudhary took to X to amplify a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging citizens to participate in the ongoing national census by registering their household data directly from their mobile phones.
Sharing a message attributed to the Prime Minister from his Mann Ki Baat programme, Choudhary posted in Hindi: 'Janganana hum sabka rashtriya dayitva hai' — 'The census is a national duty of all of us.' The post noted that the first phase of the census has reached a significant milestone, with data from more than 32 crore families already recorded across the country.
Self-Enumeration: Counting India From a Smartphone
The key push in this phase is self-enumeration — a digital-first option that allows citizens to enter their own and their family's details through a mobile application, reducing dependence on field enumerators visiting every door. This marks a departure from the paper-driven process that characterised previous rounds of the Census of India, which is governed by the Census Act of 1948 and is typically conducted every ten years.
The last fully completed decennial census was held in 2011. The current exercise, rolling out in phased form, has incorporated digital infrastructure as a central feature — reflecting a broader government push to leverage technology for large-scale data collection.
Why the Census Number Matters for Bihar
Bihar is one of India's most populous states, and census data directly determines the allocation of central funds, parliamentary seat delimitation, and the targeting of welfare schemes. Incomplete enumeration translates into under-representation — fewer resources and a blurrier picture of ground-level need. Choudhary's amplification of Modi's message is a direct appeal to residents not to let that happen.
'Your little time will make an important contribution to preparing the right picture of the country's future,' the post read. In a state where demographic data has historically shaped debates over development spending and political representation, that framing carries real weight.
With the self-enumeration window open and the first phase nearing completion, the clock is running. Every household that skips the mobile form is a data gap that policymakers will have to work around for the next ten years.