Door-to-Door Enumeration Begins for Digital Census 2026 in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The door-to-door enumeration phase of the country’s first fully digital Census 2026 began across all 30 districts of Odisha on Wednesday, marking a major step in modernising the population data collection process.

Officials said over 90,200 enumerators have been deployed across the state to carry out the exercise, with 15,140 supervisors appointed to monitor and ensure smooth implementation. Each enumerator has been assigned to cover around 800 individuals, which involves visiting and numbering approximately 200 to 220 households.

During the visits, enumerators will collect information by asking the head of the household a set of 33 questions, recording responses digitally through a mobile application. The door-to-door phase of the House Listing and Housing Census will continue till May 15, 2026.

Earlier, the self-enumeration phase was conducted from April 1 to April 15, allowing citizens to submit their details online through the official census portal using mobile devices. This marked the first time that people were given the option to participate in the Census digitally on their own.

Officials emphasised that all data collected during the process will be kept strictly confidential. The adoption of digital tools, combined with traditional field verification, is expected to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and transparency of the Census.

The initiative represents a significant shift in India’s approach to population data collection, with Odisha among the states actively implementing the new digital framework.