LUCKNOW, April 23 -- With many people from surrounding districts moving to the state capital for better prospects over the years, it remains to be seen how much the population of Lucknow district will grow in Census 2027, for which self-enumeration will be conducted between May 7 and 21. In the 2011 Census, the population of Lucknow was nearly 4.59 million (4,589,838), including 2,394,476 males and 2,195,362 females. In the Census 2001, it was about 3.65 million (3,647,834), including 1,932,317 males and 1,715,517 females. The Census was supposed to be conducted in 2021 but had to be postponed primarily due to the pandemic. Chairing a meeting about the Census on Wednesday, district magistrate Vishak G appealed to citizens, officials of municipal corporations, corporators and officials of the education department and their team to actively participate in the exercise to ensure accurate data collection. Through the self-enumeration facility, citizens can fill in their details from home using mobile phones, tablets or computers. For this purpose, a dedicated portal has been developed, where citizens can log in, an official said. After self-enumeration, house-listing will be done from May 22 to June 20, he added. "Public participation is crucial for Census 2027. Citizens should come forward timely and complete their self-enumeration so that the data collected is accurate, transparent and useful for planning. The objective is to make the process simpler and more efficient. It also reduces dependency on field visits and ensures that information is recorded correctly by the residents themselves," a district administration official said. Issuing detailed guidelines, the DM directed the LMC to organise phased training sessions for corporators of all 110 wards of the district. These sessions are to provide information regarding the self-enumeration process, the usage of the portal/app, data security protocols, and effective methods for guiding citizens in spreading public awareness within their wards. The DM issued directives to the education department to conduct special awareness campaigns across all schools, colleges and universities. Students, teachers, and parents are to be provided with detailed information regarding the significance and procedure of the self-enumeration process. Special workshops, seminars and interactive sessions are to be organised. The DM directed that a special campaign be launched in government colonies, residential complexes, and housing societies. The DM issued directives for the regular broadcasting of awareness videos and messages related to self-enumeration via the municipal corporation's LED screens, the public address systems of the ITMS (Integrated Traffic Management System), major intersections, public spaces, and markets. Arrangements must be ensured for displaying awareness messages in multiplexes and cinema halls prior to the screening of films. The DM said that a special drive should be undertaken to ensure the participation of prominent members of society, elected representatives, doctors, lawyers, traders, and social workers....