Census 2027 to Be Carried Out in Two Phases with Caste Enumeration Included.

National

In June 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) announced that the Population Census 2027, India’s 16th decennial census, will be conducted in two phases and will also include caste enumeration.


      - This marks a significant move, as caste-based data (excluding SC/ST) was last officially collected in 1931.

      - The census will be conducted under the Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990. Notably, this will be India’s first digital census, using mobile applications and online platforms to improve data accuracy, speed, and accessibility.

      - The reference date for most of India is set as 00:00 hours on 1st March 2027. However, in snow-bound and non-synchronous regions like the UT of Ladakh, parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00:00 hours on 1st October 2026.

Main Point :-   (i) The census will be executed in two phases: Phase I – House Listing and Housing Census, Phase II – Population Enumeration.

      (ii) Data collected will undergo thorough verification, and final results are expected to be released between late 2027 and 2030. The inclusion of caste enumeration is seen as a step toward more inclusive and data-driven policymaking.

(iii) The last population census was conducted in 2011, while the Census 2021 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2011 census followed a similar two-phase format with reference dates of 1st March 2011 (and 1st October 2010 for snow-bound areas).
About MHA

Minister : Amit Shah
Headquarters: New Delhi
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