Census 2027 to Be Held in Two Phases Using Digital Data Collection

The union government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that Census 2027 will be carried out in two stages — the first between April and September 2026, and the second in February 2027. Responding to a question from Congress MP and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the exercise will begin with Phase I — House Listing and Housing Census, followed by Phase II — Population Enumeration.

The first phase, scheduled between April and September 2026, will be undertaken over a 30-day period, aligned with the convenience of respective state and Union Territory administrations.

“Population Enumeration will take place in February 2027 with the reference date set at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027. However, in Ladakh and the snow-bound, non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, it will be carried out in September 2026 with the reference date of 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026,” Rai said, according to PTI report. Opposition parties have raised the issue of delay in conducting Census multiple times.

He added that the census questionnaire is finalised ahead of every round based on feedback from ministries, departments, organisations, and data users, noting that the exercise draws upon over 150 years of institutional experience. PTI reported.

In reply to a separate query, the minister confirmed that caste enumeration will also be included in the upcoming census, as approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on April 30 this year.

He further stated that Census 2027 will be conducted digitally, with data collection through mobile applications and an option for self-enumeration.

(With inputs from PTI)