Bhubaneswar, 02 April (H.S.): Around 17,000 people in Odisha completed their self-enumeration on the first day of the digital census exercise on Wednesday, reflecting an encouraging early response to the newly introduced online process.

Sharing the update on Thursday, Census Director Nikhil Pavan Kalyan said the figures indicate initial participation levels as the exercise gets underway across the state.

The self-enumeration phase, which began on Wednesday, allows citizens to submit their demographic details online for the first time as part of the nationwide census process. The digital option aims to make the process more convenient and efficient while reducing the need for extensive door-to-door verification in the initial stage.

Officials have urged more residents to take advantage of the online facility and complete their self-enumeration within the stipulated period to ensure broader participation and accurate data collection.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda