India’s 16th Census notified, set for 2027

New Delhi: The government on Monday issued a notification for conducting India’s 16th Census in 2027, which will include caste enumeration—a key demographic detail being collected for the first time since 2011. The census will have two different reference dates: October 1, 2026, for snow-bound areas such as the Union Territory of Ladakh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand; and March 1, 2027, for the rest of the country.

According to the official notification, the massive enumeration exercise will involve nearly 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, along with around 1.3 lakh census functionaries equipped with digital devices. For the first time, self-enumeration will also be made available, allowing citizens to submit their data independently.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the census preparations on Sunday along with Union Home Secretary, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, and other senior officials.

The exercise will be carried out in two phases. The first phase, the Houselisting Operation (HLO), will gather data on housing conditions, assets, and household amenities. The second phase, known as Population Enumeration (PE), will capture the demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and other personal information of every individual.

This marks the 16th census since the nationwide exercise began and the eighth since Independence. The government has emphasised that strict data security protocols will be maintained during the collection, transmission, and storage of census data.

With PTI inputs