New Delhi: The Government of India has announced that the next Population Census will be conducted in 2027, and for the first time, it will include caste enumeration alongside the demographic survey. The massive statistical exercise will be carried out in two phases, covering different regions of the country.
The first phase will begin on October 1, 2026, targeting snow-bound and hilly regions such as Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh, where early operations are required due to seasonal challenges. The second phase, covering the rest of India, will commence on March 1, 2027.
An official gazette notification signaling the start of the Census process is expected to be issued on June 16, 2025, marking the formal initiation of preparations.
This will be the first full Census after 2011, as the decennial 2021 Census was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic despite all preparations being in place. That year, the first phase was scheduled between April and September 2020, with the second phase planned for February 2021. The global pandemic, however, brought the operation to a halt.
The Indian Census, considered one of the largest administrative and statistical undertakings in the world, plays a critical role in shaping public policy and planning. It provides comprehensive data on the country’s demographic, economic, social, and cultural landscape and serves as a benchmark for various government surveys and welfare schemes.
This upcoming census will be closely watched, especially for its inclusion of caste-based data, a move that is expected to have far-reaching implications for social justice policies, resource allocation, and affirmative action programs in India.
