Census 2027: MHA Unveils Plan for Digital Enumeration, Caste Data Collection - India Update

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In a recent update to the Indian Parliament, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has revealed the plan for the upcoming Census 2027. The census questionnaire is currently being finalized by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. As per the tradition, the timeline for the census remains the same as previous years. The census will be conducted in two phases: the first phase, between April and September 2026, will focus on house listing and housing census, while the second phase, in February 2027, will be dedicated to population enumeration. Caste enumeration, a feature that was previously dropped, will be included in the Census 2027 as per the Cabinet Committee's decision on April 30. According to the MHA, the census will be conducted digitally using mobile applications, and self-enumeration will be an option for the public. Approximately 3.4 million enumerators and supervisors will be involved in the exercise. The data collection is expected to be completed by March 1, 2027, but officials have stated that the entire process of data collation and publication may take up to three years. The pre-test for the first phase of Census 2027 was conducted from November 10 to November 30. The 16th Census will be one of the largest exercises of its kind, with a massive team of enumerators and supervisors working together to collect and process data. The MHA has assured that the census will be conducted fairly and transparently, with the respondent required to answer questions to the best of their knowledge or belief.