New Delhi: India has begun preparations for the nationwide Census of India 2027, with the first phase of the exercise starting on April 1. The houselisting operations, which form the initial stage of the census process, will continue until September 30 across states and union territories.
During this phase, officials will record details of structures, houses and households to create a comprehensive database for the next stage, known as population enumeration. The exercise will involve 33 questions covering housing conditions, access to essential services and the availability of household amenities.
According to Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, enumerators will collect information about the type of building, construction materials, ownership status, number of rooms and the number of people residing in each household. The survey will also gather details about access to drinking water, electricity supply, sanitation facilities and waste disposal systems.
The questionnaire further includes queries about household assets such as televisions, radios, computers, mobile phones and internet access. Residents will also be asked whether they own registered two wheelers or four wheelers. To make participation easier, responses can be submitted using forms available in 16 languages within a 15 day window before the houselisting exercise begins in each state or union territory.
Around 30 lakh enumerators will conduct the survey using specially designed mobile applications compatible with both iOS and Android devices. The applications are capable of functioning without internet connectivity, and authorities have assured that all collected information will remain confidential.
The second phase, population enumeration, will begin on March 1, 2027. However, the process will start earlier in snow bound regions such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand from October 2026.
A major feature of the upcoming census will be the inclusion of caste and sub caste data. The move marks the return of caste enumeration after decades and is expected to provide detailed insights into demographic patterns, social conditions and representation among different communities.
India conducts its census once every decade under the supervision of the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. The previous census was held in 2011, while the 2021 exercise was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2027 census is expected to provide updated demographic and socio economic data to guide policy decisions and development planning across the country.
