CHANDIGARH : With preparations gathering momentum for the second phase of Census 2027 in Punjab, Director of Census Operations, Punjab, Dr Navjot Khosa has called for active public participation and accurate household-level information to ensure that the nationwide population exercise reflects the state’s demographic realities. As part of the awareness campaign, Dr Khosa delivered a special talk at All India Radio (AIR), Chandigarh, focusing on the importance of the upcoming Population Enumeration phase and the role citizens will play in making the exercise comprehensive and reliable. The interaction is expected to be broadcast shortly, enabling the Census message to reach a wider audience across Punjab. According to the official schedule, the self-enumeration facility in Punjab will remain available from November 16 to 30, 2026, followed by door-to-door population enumeration from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027. A revisional round is scheduled from January 5 to 9, 2027, with January 5, 2027, serving as the reference date for this phase. The second phase will collect individual-level demographic and socio-economic information, including details relevant to education, migration, fertility and other population characteristics. The information gathered will form an important foundation for government planning, policy formulation, welfare programmes and the delivery of public services. Dr Khosa emphasised that the quality of Census data depends significantly on the cooperation of households and the accuracy of the information they provide. The participation of every family is therefore essential to ensuring that no section of the population is overlooked. The AIR initiative is part of a broader public outreach effort intended to explain the purpose, process and significance of Census 2027, address public queries and encourage citizens to cooperate with authorised Census personnel. The 2027 exercise is particularly significant as it will be India’s first Census conducted after the 2011 enumeration, with the 2021 Census having been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The exercise is being conducted in two phases, with the first covering house listing and housing conditions, while the second focuses on population enumeration. For Punjab, the forthcoming phase will require coordinated efforts by government departments, Census officials, field enumerators and citizens. The administration is encouraging people to remain informed, make use of the prescribed self-enumeration facility and provide complete and truthful details when approached by authorised personnel. The message from the Census Directorate is clear: reliable population data begins with the cooperation of individual households, and every citizen’s participation contributes to better planning and more informed decisions for the state’s future.