Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Monday, 18 May completed his family's online self-enumeration for Census 2027 from his residence in Surat, calling accurate census data the cornerstone of effective welfare delivery and urging every household in the state to participate before the 31 May deadline.

What Sanghavi Said

Addressing citizens during the campaign's launch phase in Surat, Sanghavi described Census 2027 as far more than a headcount. 'Census 2027 is not merely a population count but an important pillar for the future development of the country,' he said. He added that the data collected would directly shape government decisions on health, education, housing, employment, transport, and public welfare schemes at the grassroots level.

In his own words: 'The information obtained from the population census and the use of this information by the government, whether for policymaking or development, for proper distribution of resources, and for effectively delivering health, education, housing, employment, transport and various public welfare schemes to the grassroots level, makes this exercise extremely useful for citizens of every section of the country.'

How the Digital Self-Enumeration Works

The Centre has introduced a digital self-enumeration portal allowing citizens to submit household details online from home — a first for India's decennial census. The current phase runs from 15 May to 31 May, after which door-to-door house listing operations are scheduled from 1 June to 30 June.

Sanghavi filled in his family's details through the online portal on the second day of the campaign, a day after Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel formally launched the process by completing his own family's enumeration on the digital platform.

OTP Fraud Warning

Sanghavi issued a specific caution to residents about data security during the census process. He clarified that an OTP is generated only when citizens complete self-enumeration online themselves — and that no OTP needs to be shared if a government official visits a home physically for census-related work.

'If any officer comes to your home for self-enumeration, then there is no need to provide any type of OTP in that process. All citizens should take special note of this,' he said, urging people not to share confidential information with unknown persons under any circumstances.

Why Census 2027 Matters

India's last census was conducted in 2011; the 2021 exercise was deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making Census 2027 the first fresh national count in over 16 years. The data gap has had measurable consequences — welfare scheme beneficiary lists, parliamentary delimitation, and resource allocation formulas have all relied on increasingly dated figures. Accurate, updated data is expected to recalibrate central and state fund flows across dozens of schemes.

With Gujarat's participation drive now backed by both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, the state administration is signalling that high enumeration rates — particularly through the digital route — are a policy priority this cycle.