India's next census is going digital — and Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy wants Telangana to lead the way. Amplifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal on the 138th episode of Mann Ki Baat, Reddy on Sunday, 27 September 2026 called on citizens of the state to complete their self-enumeration for Census 2027 — a process that can now be done on a mobile phone in as little as 15 to 20 minutes.

What Mann Ki Baat's 138th Episode Said About the Census

In the monthly radio address, Prime Minister Modi spotlighted the self-enumeration option as a citizen-friendly gateway into the upcoming census exercise. The process, available in 16 languages, allows residents to fill in their household details independently through a mobile platform. Once submitted, a unique ID is generated, which a government enumerator uses for verification during a subsequent field visit — trimming both paperwork and doorstep time.

Reddy echoed the Prime Minister's call with a direct message: 'I also urge the people of Telangana to spare a little time and complete their self-enumeration.' The appeal carries particular weight given his dual role as Union Minister and BJP Telangana state president, positioning the outreach as both a national governance priority and a state-level mobilisation effort.

Why Census 2027 Is a Bigger Deal Than Usual

India's last completed decennial census was in 2011. The 2021 round was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving planners, economists, and policymakers working off data that is now 15 years old. Census figures directly determine how Finance Commission funds are allocated to states, how parliamentary constituencies are delimitated, and how welfare schemes are targeted to reach the right beneficiaries. A 15-year data gap is not a bureaucratic footnote — it is a policy blind spot with real consequences for millions.

The digital self-enumeration model represents a significant shift from India's traditional census method, which relied entirely on enumerators conducting door-to-door surveys. By enabling citizens to pre-fill their data, the government aims to reduce fieldwork burden, improve accuracy, and accelerate data processing — part of a broader pattern of digitising large-scale administrative exercises.

Telangana's Role in the National Count

With a population spread across 33 districts, Telangana is one of the younger states in the Indian Union but carries significant demographic and political weight. Awareness campaigns at the state level — and the involvement of senior figures like Reddy — signal that the central government is leaning on its regional leadership to drive participation rates before the full-scale enumeration begins.

The self-enumeration window is the first phase citizens will encounter. Getting it right — and getting enough people to use it — will set the tone for the entire Census 2027 exercise. The countdown, evidently, has begun.