New Delhi: After a significant hiatus since 2011, India is set to commence its next decennial population census, a monumental exercise officially slated to begin in 2026 and conclude in early 2027. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs today issued the formal notification under Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, outlining a meticulously planned two-phase data collection process that promises to be India's first entirely digital census.
The nation's most comprehensive demographic survey will unfold in distinct stages. The first phase, the Houselisting Operation (HLO), is scheduled to kick off on October 1, 2026, primarily targeting snow-bound and remote regions such as Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand to account for seasonal accessibility challenges. This initial phase will meticulously gather data pertaining to housing conditions, household amenities, and assets.
Following this, the second and main phase, the Population Enumeration (PE), will commence on March 1, 2027, serving as the reference date for the majority of the country. During this crucial stage, enumerators will collect detailed demographic, socio-economic, and cultural information from every individual residing in households across India.
A significant addition to the upcoming census, and a point of considerable public and political discussion, is the inclusion of caste enumeration. This marks the first time since 1931 that comprehensive caste data will be systematically collected nationwide, a move long demanded by various social and political groups for more targeted welfare and policy interventions.
Furthermore, this census will break new ground by being India's inaugural fully digital enumeration. The government plans to utilize mobile applications for data collection, empowering approximately 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, along with 1.3 lakh census functionaries, to streamline the process. A landmark provision for self-enumeration will also be made available, allowing citizens the convenience of submitting their own data online.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has assured stringent data security measures throughout the collection, transmission, and storage phases to safeguard sensitive personal information. The formal notification today follows recent reviews by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, underscoring the government's commitment to expediting this vital exercise.
The census data, once compiled, will be instrumental in informing future policy decisions, resource allocation, and even potentially influencing the highly anticipated delimitation exercise for electoral constituencies, which has been frozen since 1971. The completion of this census is also a prerequisite for the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill.