New Delhi: The population enumeration for Census 2027 will begin in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and non-snow-bound parts of Uttarakhand from December 1, 2026, with the exercise scheduled to continue until January 4, 2027.
The decision comes ahead of assembly elections expected in several of these states early next year. According to a notification issued by the Registrar General of India, a revisional round will be conducted from January 5 to January 9, 2027.
Residents in the four states will also be able to use the self-enumeration facility from November 16 to November 30, allowing households to submit their information digitally before the main enumeration begins.
The census schedule differs for snow-bound regions. Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will follow a separate timetable, with October 1, 2026, serving as their reference date.
Population enumeration in these areas is scheduled to take place earlier, from September 1 to September 30. Their self-enumeration window had opened on August 17 and continued until August 31.
For most of the country, the reference date for Census 2027 will be midnight on March 1, 2027. The main population enumeration is expected to begin in February, excluding the regions following the separate schedule.
The exercise will collect extensive information covering demographic, socio-cultural and economic characteristics. Data on migration and fertility patterns will also be gathered at the household level.
The accelerated schedule in the four states is linked to the expected election calendar. The terms of the Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand assemblies are due to end by May 2027.
A large number of government employees, particularly teachers, are normally deployed for both census and election duties. Conducting the exercises simultaneously could therefore create logistical difficulties.
Meanwhile, the government has deferred house-listing operations for Manipur, according to a separate notification.
Census 2027 will be conducted in two stages, beginning with house listing and housing census, followed by population enumeration. Originally scheduled for 2021, the decennial exercise was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 11,718 crore for the exercise, which will be the country’s eighth census since Independence.
