Students were roped in from 700 government schools and 300 private schools across the state to help out with the Self Enumeration (SE) phase from August 1-15.

Students were roped in from 700 government schools and 300 private schools across the state to help out with the Self Enumeration (SE) phase from August 1-15.

Students were roped in from 700 government schools and 300 private schools across the state to help out with the Self Enumeration (SE) phase from August 1-15.

The first phase of the population census concluded on August 15, for which the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the West Bengal School Education Department roped in students from 700 government schools and 300 private schools.

The Self Enumeration (SE) phase, which started on August 1, included citizens filling up the online form with details of their family members and other information. Around 50 lakh people reportedly filled up census details.

“Our school was involved and our students were assigned good learning experience for students,” said Ajanta Mukherjee, Principal, Beltala Girls High School.

“For students it is an excellent learning experience because they understand that maintaining correct records is not merely a government requirement, it is an important part of being a responsible citizen,” said Tuhin Kumar Guha, Principal, AK Ghosh Memorial School.

Students of the senior school from class 8 to 12 were involved in the process, with prefects in every class overseeing the work of the other students. Each student was tasked with asking 10 families to fill up the census details, which is not mandatory, but an important exercise to understand the census in the state, the last being done in 2011.

“I went to tell my neighbours about the process, many did not have a laptop so I took mine and helped them with the process. Being an Indian, it is my responsibility to do this,” said Insha Ahmed, a Class 12 student of the Beltala Girls High School and a prefect in charge of her class.

“Convincing people to fill the census form where we may not know many people well is a challenge. I did help people and many felt there were technical glitches with the OTP and getting stuck on the page. Overall, the census is a positive step for our nation despite limitations,” said Soumya Saha, a Class 10 student at the AK Ghosh Memorial School.

The second phase of the census has now begun, and will go on until September 14, in which field enumerators will go to every household and verify the data—with the 11-digit SE ID uploaded on their app and data stored already.

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