Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi urges citizens to spend 15 minutes on census, 2.6 crore already register

New Delhi: Taking part in the national census could take as little as 15 to 20 minutes for those choosing the self-registration option, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his latest Mann Ki Baat address, as he urged more citizens to participate in the exercise.

According to Modi, more than 2.6 crore people have already completed the self-enumeration process using their mobile phones. The digital facility allows people to enter details about themselves and their families without waiting for the information to be collected through the traditional process.

The Prime Minister said the first phase of the census is now nearing completion, with data from more than 32 crore families already recorded across the country.

How the mobile census self-registration works

The self-registration facility is available through the official census portal at ec.census.gov.in and is offered in 16 languages, including Hindi.

Citizens can log in using their mobile number, enter their location and provide details about their family before submitting the information. Modi said the process takes around 15 to 20 minutes and does not require users to upload documents.

After the information is submitted, a unique ID is generated. Once the details are verified, they become part of the official census record.

The Prime Minister appealed to those who have not yet participated to make use of the digital option and spare some time for the census.

Census reaches remote and snow-bound areas

Modi also highlighted the progress of census operations in difficult-to-reach parts of the country, including Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

In Uttarakhand, the exercise began in Mana village in Chamoli district, with 83-year-old Purnima Rawat becoming the first person mentioned by the Prime Minister in connection with the start of the process there.

In Bhagori village in Uttarkashi, homestay operator Hardev Singh Rana entered his family's information himself using the digital platform. Modi cited the example to demonstrate how the self-registration system can be used directly by citizens.

Why Modi is urging more people to participate

Recalling his Independence Day appeal on August 15, Modi again asked citizens to devote some time to the census.

He described participation as a collective national responsibility and said comprehensive census data would help strengthen planning and welfare schemes by providing reliable demographic information.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that continued public participation would help the census exercise reach completion across the country.

With IANS inputs