The national Census in India will introduce self-enumeration for the first time, starting in Maharashtra on May 1, 2024, which is celebrated as Maharashtra Day. This phase allows households to voluntarily submit housing information digitally through a secure web portal, available from May 1 to May 15. Following this, census officers will conduct door-to-door visits from May 16 to June 14 to verify self-enumeration data and collect information from those who did not participate online. Dr. Nirupama J. Dange, Chief Principal Census Officer for Maharashtra, emphasized that self-enumeration is optional, requiring only one member of each household to complete the process, which takes approximately 15-20 minutes. A Self-Enumeration ID will be generated upon successful submission, and no documents need to be uploaded. Dange reassured the public that all personal data will be kept confidential and will not be used for any legal purposes. The Census aims to gather comprehensive data, with a caste-based census planned for the second phase in February 2027.