The Government of India has announced that the upcoming Population Census 2027 would be conducted in two phases, and for the first time in decades, it would be accompanied by the enumeration of castes. The decision marks a significant development in the country’s demographic data collection efforts.
The reference date for the Census would be 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, across most parts of the country. However, for the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous, snow-bound regions of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date would be 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026, in consideration of extreme weather conditions.
According to a statement issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, through the PIB, a notification of intent to conduct the Population Census with these reference dates is expected to be published in the Official Gazette on June 16, 2025, in accordance with Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948.
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The Census of India is carried out under the Census Act, 1948 and governed by the Census Rules, 1990. The last completed Census was conducted in 2011, also in two phases: (1) House Listing and Housing Census (HLO): April to September 2010 and (2) Population Enumeration (PE): February 9 to 28, 2011
For snow-bound regions, enumeration took place earlier, between September 11 to 30, 2010 with a reference date of October 1, 2010.
The Census 2021, which was scheduled in a similar two-phase format, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite all preparations being completed for the first phase—set to begin on April 1, 2020, in several States and Union Territories—the exercise could not proceed.
The inclusion of caste data in the upcoming census is seen as a significant step toward addressing demands for more accurate and detailed social statistics, which could inform policymaking, welfare schemes, and affirmative action strategies.
With the official announcement, preparatory work for Census 2027 is expected to begin soon, marking the beginning of one of the world’s largest administrative exercises.
