A meeting convened by Bihar’s Chief Secretary, Pratyaya Amrit, focused on the upcoming 2027 census, specifically examining pre-testing procedures. The State Level Census Coordination Committee (SLCCC) oversaw the meeting, which aimed to ensure collaboration and supervision across all departments involved.
Government departments present at the meeting included General Administration, Revenue and Land Reforms, Education, Finance, Planning and Development, Social Welfare, Panchayati Raj, Urban Development and Housing, Rural Development, Information and Public Relations, and Information Technology, along with District Magistrates from Sitamarhi, Nawada, and Saran.
The meeting’s agenda centered on the 2027 census framework, with a detailed review of pre-testing operations.
Key topics addressed included:
1. A discussion on the administrative jurisdictions of Bihar’s 534 rural and 263 urban areas.
2. The Census Operations Directorate confirmed that administrative boundaries would remain unchanged from December 31, 2025, until the census completion date of March 31, 2027, adhering to the state’s Boundary Freezing directive.
3. The 2027 Census is planned in two phases. Phase one, encompassing house listing and enumeration, will be conducted within 30 days between April and September 2026. Phase two involves the actual enumeration, scheduled from February 9 to 28, 2027.
4. The 2027 Census will be conducted entirely digitally. Key points discussed included:
* Using a portal to update administrative units based on any jurisdictional changes.
* Employing the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal for supervisors and enumerators for appointment letters, identification cards, digital charge registers, and overall census work monitoring.
* Creating House Listing Blocks (HLBs) and Digital Layout Maps (DLM).
* Providing self-enumeration options for the public.
5. Training will be conducted at multiple levels, involving Subject Matter Experts, National Trainers, Master Trainers, Field Trainers, enumerators, and supervisors.
6. Pre-testing is planned for October-November 2025 across three areas of Bihar, using a mobile application for the first time. The pre-testing phase will evaluate the Questionnaire, CMMS portal, HLO and PE mobile app, DLM Mapping App, and HLB Creator Portal.