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India will carry out its population census in two phases. The first phase will begin in October 2026 in the snowy states and Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
The enumeration exercise, which will also entail a caste census, will be conducted for the rest of the country with the reference date of March 1, 2027. “The notification for the intent of conducting the Population Census with these reference dates will be published in the official gazette tentatively on 16.06.2025, as per provision of section 3 of Census Act 1948", the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday (June 4).
The decennial census was last held in 2011. The next enumeration was to be done in 2021, but the Centre postponed it due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Let’s take a closer look.
India’s census history
A census is a statistical pool of information about a country’s population and its socio-economic status.
From religion, age and gender to literacy levels, housing and migration, the census contains a wide range of data about people.
The British Raj started the census exercise in 1872. Between 1881 and 1931, the Indian census listed all castes. The caste enumeration was also done in 1941 – during World War II, but the data was not released.
Caste was last enumerated in 1931 in the then undivided India. The data revealed the country had 4,147 castes besides depressed classes or Dalits.
A caste census tabulates the castes of all Indians, particularly the Other Backward Classes or OBCs.
The first census in independent India was conducted in 1951. Since then, the exercise has not included the enumeration of castes, except for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
This will change as India holds its long-overdue census soon. In April, the Centre announced it would carry out caste enumeration as part of the forthcoming regular census in a “transparent” manner. The population census 2027 will include the caste census as well.
Population Census-2027 to be conducted in two phases along with enumeration of castes
— PIB - Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) June 4, 2025
Read here: https://t.co/5Nt4QOPqda@HMOIndia @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/avUqB878d2
How census is conducted
It is a two-step process, beginning with house-listing and numbering exercise. After this, the counting of population is done.
For house-listing, the details of all buildings – permanent or temporary – are gathered, along with their type, assets and amenities. After a list of all houses is prepared, the actual population enumeration is done.
As Indian Express noted, this house-listing step is generally done in the middle of the year before the census year. The counting of people traditionally takes place in February of the census year.
When this timeline is followed, the numbers reveal India’s population as on midnight on March 1 in the census year.
Why delaying census is bad
It has been 14 years since India last held its census. The 2011 population enumeration revealed the country had 121 crore people and the sex ratio was 940 females per 1,000 males.
After the 2021 census was deferred due to Covid-19, it was the first time in India’s 150-year history of population enumeration that the exercise did not happen on time.
The Constitution mandates population enumeration, but the Census of India Act of 1948 does not specify its timing or periodicity.
Even after normalcy resumed, India did not hold its decennial census. The Centre and state governments have to rely on outdated data to formulate policies for the citizens.
The census provides accurate data that guides planning, administrative and economic decisions of the government. It is the basis for every social, economic and other indicator.
Emphasising the importance of data in a democracy, Amy Kapcynski, professor of Law at Yale School, says, “Data are not something merely wielded by democratic governments, but also something that constitutes them. Data are not simply used by democracies but play a formative role in shaping and creating the demos, the ‘we the people’ who are supposed to rule.”
Only the census captures granular village-level data. According to Scroll, a census delay will affect many government policies and hurt India’s planning for its outreach programmes.
The biggest hit will be felt by India’s Public Distribution System, under which it gives subsidised food. Scroll noted that crores of people are not receiving the scheme’s benefits due to the government depending on more than a decade-old data.
However, it would not be wise to rush the process. For an error-free census, the exercise depends on the accuracy of the questionnaire. Only then can the government devise policies that favour the people.
With inputs from agencies
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