Bhubaneswar, July 1: Preparations for the second phase of the Census, scheduled to commence in February 2027, gathered pace as the Phase-II pre-test begins across Odisha today. The pilot exercise will be conducted in Mayurbhanj and Bhubaneswar, State Census Directorate Director Nikhil Pavan Kalyan said.
The pre-test, which will continue for 20 days, is aimed at assessing the Phase-II questionnaire, the mobile application, and collecting public feedback before the full-scale enumeration begins. Around 10,000 to 15,000 people will be covered under the pilot exercise.
Officials said the self-enumeration process for the Census began on April 1, while the first phase concluded on May 15. Mapping work has since been completed, and district-level handbook preparation is currently underway across all districts.
Following the completion of the pre-test, training for officials and enumerators involved in the second phase will be held between August and October. The Director said special care will be taken to ensure that the training schedule does not disrupt academic activities after schools reopen.
To facilitate the large-scale exercise, additional teachers will be engaged for Census duties and the number of enumeration blocks will also be increased, Kalyan added.
