Census 2027 will mark the 16th census in the country and the 8th conducted after India gained independence.
Key Details of Census 2027
- Phased Conduct: The exercise will occur in two phases: (i) House listing and Housing Census (April to September 2026) and (ii) Population Enumeration (PE) (February 2027).
- First Digital Census: Using mobile applications.
- Caste Data: Census will capture Caste data during the Population Enumeration phase.
- New Technology: A dedicated Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS) portal has been developed for real-time monitoring of the process.
- Census-as-a-service (CaaS) will deliver data to ministries in a clean, machine-readable and actionable format.
- Participation: The public will be provided with an option to self-enumerate.
About Census in India
- Genesis: The first non-synchronous census was conducted in 1872.
- Conducted by: Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Statutory Mandate: The Census Act, enacted in 1948, provides the legal framework for the conduct of the census.
- Parameters: The data gathered covers various parameters including Demography, Housing Condition, Religion, and Literacy, providing micro-level data down to the village or ward level.
- Last Census: 2011. The 2021 census was postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic.