Mumbai, May 4 -- In a first, the Census exercise is being conducted in a fully digital format, with a unique number designating each household and comprising the basis for recording further data, officials familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times. The shift, which requires enumerators to feed all information into a mobile application, is expected to streamline data collection, improve accuracy, and form the basis for future policy decisions, the officials said. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been tasked with conducting the Census across the city, with the health department acting as the nodal agency, said Dr Pooja Desai, medical health officer in-charge of the R South ward in Kandivali. "This will be the first fully digital Census. One house will have one log in and the head of the family will provide all the information," she said. The decennial Census exercise, which started off on May 1, is being conducted after a nearly six-year delay. "We are already lagging behind in Census work. It was supposed to happen in 2021 but was postponed due to the pandemic," Desai said. The Census is being conducted in two phases, she noted. The first phase, ongoing till June will assess availability of basic amenities across households, while the second phase in February-March 2027 will involve an actual count of the population. To streamline operations, each ward has been divided into smaller, manageable blocks of 200-250 households, so that one enumerator has enough time to gather the stipulated data within a month. Data about basic amenities at the household level will be gathered via a questionnaire with 30-34 entries. Desai said the government has some basic questions with regards to policy making for which it wants to gather information - such as what kind of house do we live in, whether it is a hut or made of cement and concrete; which electronic devices do we have; do we have a good bathroom facility in the house; do we have community toilets or independent toilets. Once all the information is submitted, a unique number will be generated for each household, which will be used for further logistical recording. Speaking about the option of self-enumeration, which has been introduced this time, Desai said, "Self-enumeration can be done from May 1-15 via the app. It takes only 2-3 minutes and allows citizens to respond privately." Self-enumeration can also help citizens avoid discomfort, such as when enumerators ask about self-contained toilets at home. "When an enumerator visits a house, the person who has self-enumerated on the mobile app has to simply submit the ID and the required information will be accessible. It will save our time as well as citizens' time," said Desai....