The State Election Commission (SEC) of Bihar has announced the rollout of a population count exercise to prepare for the upcoming panchayat elections later this year. District magistrates are instructed to publish form-1 based on the 2011 census figures, with the draft publication set for April 27. Citizens can raise objections until May 11, and the final version will be published on May 25. This initiative is crucial as it will help accurately reflect the rural population, particularly in areas where boundaries have changed due to urbanization. The dataset will be used to reserve electoral seats for Other Backward Castes (OBCs), Extreme Backward Castes (EBCs), women, and Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) within the three-tier Panchayati Raj system, which includes the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and Zila Parishad. Following the publication of form-1, a survey will assess the eligibility of groups for reservation based on their representation and other criteria, expected to occur in June or July. The last panchayat elections in Bihar were held in 2021.