THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 14, 2026
India’s next population census is set to mark a historic
departure from previous post-Independence exercises, with the Centre formally
notifying a 40-question schedule that, for the first time since Independence,
will comprehensively enumerate caste across all communities, alongside a
sweeping set of demographic, social, economic and migration-related details.
The notification, issued by the Office of the Registrar
General, India, under the Census Act, 1948, provides the framework for the
population enumeration phase of Census 2027, which will ordinarily be conducted
in February next year. In Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu
and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, however, the exercise will be
held from September 1 to 30, 2026.
The government has also provided an option for
self-enumeration from August 17 to 31 in these areas, ahead of the
house-to-house population enumeration.
A defining feature of the upcoming census will be caste
enumeration. Question number 10 in the Household Schedule asks whether a person
belongs to a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or other caste, putting
comprehensive caste data at the heart of the exercise.
While Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been
systematically enumerated in previous post-Independence censuses, a
comprehensive enumeration of castes across communities was not part of the
decennial Census. The decision to include caste enumeration in Census 2027 was
taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs in April 2025.
The government has said the move will facilitate the
collection of comprehensive caste-related demographic information during
population enumeration and provide an updated picture of the country's social
composition.
The 40-question schedule goes well beyond caste, covering a
broad spectrum of information on individuals and households. It seeks details
such as a person's name, relationship with the head of household, sex, date of
birth, age, marital status, age at marriage and spouse's name.
Questions will also cover nationality, religion, caste,
parents' details, disability, mother tongue and other languages known, literacy
and digital literacy, educational attendance and the highest level of education
attained.
The employment section will seek information on whether a
person worked during the previous year, economic activity, occupation,
industry, trade or service, class of worker and non-economic activity. It will
also record whether a person is seeking or available for work and collect
information relating to travel to the workplace.
Migration will receive detailed attention, with questions
covering place of birth, place of last residence, reason for migration,
duration of stay at the present village or town and permanent residential
address.
For specified categories of women, the schedule will seek
information on children ever born alive, surviving children and children born
alive during the preceding year, providing key data for understanding fertility
patterns.
The questionnaire will also gather information on the place
of COVID-19 vaccination, number of bank accounts, mobile number, Aadhaar
number, voter ID number, passport number for Indian passport holders and
availability of a driving licence.
Census 2027 will also usher in a technological transformation
as India prepares to conduct its first digital Census. Data collection will be
undertaken using digital tools, while citizens will have the option of
participating through self-enumeration.
The exercise will be conducted in two phases. The first
phase, House Listing and Housing Census, is scheduled between April and
September 2026, with each state and Union Territory conducting the exercise
over a 30-day period according to its convenience. A self-enumeration facility
will be available for 15 days immediately before the house-to-house exercise in
the first phase.
The second phase, Population Enumeration, will focus on
demographic, socio-economic, cultural, migration and fertility-related
information, with caste enumeration forming a key component.
Census 2027 is being conducted under the Census Act, 1948 and
Census Rules, 1990. Census is a Union subject under the Seventh Schedule of the
Constitution and is centrally coordinated in cooperation with state and Union
Territory governments.
The government has also reiterated the confidentiality of
individual information collected during the exercise. Under Section 15 of the
Census Act, personal information provided by individuals is treated as
confidential and cannot be made public or used as evidence in a court of law.
The intent to conduct Population Census 2027 was notified in the Gazette of India on June 16, 2025, while the Union Cabinet has approved a financial outlay of Rs 11,718.24 crore for the exercise.
With its combination of comprehensive caste enumeration, digital data collection and an expanded canvas of demographic and socio-economic questions, Census 2027 is expected to provide one of the most detailed contemporary portraits of India's population, capturing not only how many people live in the country but also their social composition, education, livelihoods, mobility and changing patterns of family and community life.
