At least 2,733 people in Ernakulam completed self-enumeration for the houselisting and housing Census, which forms phase 1 of Census 2027, on Tuesday, the first day of the exercise. The data pertains to the number of people who completed the process till 5 p.m. since the web portal was opened at 6 a.m.

The residents are allowed to complete self-enumeration from June 16 to 30. Addressing the media here on Tuesday, District Collector G. Priyanka urged the public to make use of the self-enumeration facility, though it is not mandatory.

“Citizens can visit se.census.gov.in and easily submit responses to 33 questions. All 33 questions have already been published online and through other channels. Upon completing the process, they will receive an 11-digit Self-Enumeration ID via SMS. When enumerators visit households after July 1, residents can provide this ID to facilitate faster data collection,” the Collector said.

She added that enumerators would visit the households of those unable to access online facilities. “Residents are not required to pay any money or provide any form of remuneration to Census officials. The authenticity of officials can be verified by scanning the QR code on their official identity cards using a mobile phone,” Ms. Priyanka said.

The first phase of the Census, scheduled for July, will involve houselisting, during which houses will be listed and basic information collected. This will be followed by the second phase, the population Census, in February. The Collector clarified that the information collected through the Census would be used solely for statistical purposes, and that all personal information would remain strictly confidential.

The Collector said 23 charge officers had been deployed at the municipal and taluk levels for Census operations. Four master trainers and 118 field trainers will coordinate activities across the district. A total of 6,538 enumerators, including reserve personnel and 1,117 supervisors, have been deployed. Each enumerator has been assigned responsibility for 150 to 200 households, covering an estimated population of 700 to 800 people.

Special awareness programmes will be conducted targeting labour camps, industrial establishments, residents’ welfare associations, and contractors. Requesting full cooperation with Census officials, the Collector urged people not to fall for misinformation and to rely only on information issued through official government channels. She appealed to the public to provide accurate information and contribute to making the digital Census a major success.

District Census Officer and Additional District Magistrate K. Manoj and Special Officer and Assistant Collector Rithvik Ranjan were present.