Bhubaneswar: With the Centre issuing gazette notification for population census, planning for the successful conduct of the mega exercise, which will include caste enumeration, has been initiated in Odisha.
Director of Census Operations in Odisha Nikhil Pavan Kalyan said the process for the population census in the state will commence within the next six months, ahead of the nationwide enumeration scheduled for 2027.
The reference date for the population census will be 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, as per the notification issued by the Centre on Monday.
On the significant role to be played by advanced technology in the upcoming exercise, he said Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used in a big way to enhance the efficiency of the census process. The enumeration will be conducted both digitally and through a dedicated mobile application, which is expected to be launched soon.
Stating that additional manpower will be deployed for the census operation, Kalyan said they will undergo a structured training programme to ensure smooth conduct of census, which will include door-to-door visits to collect data directly from households.
The authorities have urged citizens to keep their documents and information ready and to provide accurate details during the enumeration process.
As per the Central notification, the population census will be conducted across India in 2027, with a reference date of March 1, 2027. However, in the Union Territory of Ladakh, certain non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the census will be held earlier—from October 1, 2026, with the corresponding reference date.
The census will also feature comprehensive data collection, including caste details, marking the first time caste enumeration will be officially part of the nationwide exercise.
