The Centre has directed all states and Union Territories (UTs) to finalise any changes to their administrative boundaries by December 31, 2025, ahead of the launch of Census 2027, which will begin with houselisting operations on April 1, 2026, followed by population enumeration starting February 1, 2027.
In a letter dated June 27, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, instructed chief secretaries to ensure that no modifications to districts, tehsils, villages, or municipal limits are made after the cut-off date, as the Census requires a three-month freeze on administrative boundaries prior to its commencement.
“From April 1, 2026, the Houselisting Operation, the appointment of supervisors and enumerators and the work division among them will be done, and on February 1, 2027, the Census of the population will begin,” Narayan stated.
The Census, delayed since 2021 due to the pandemic, will be the 16th national Census and the eighth since Independence. According to an earlier government notification, March 1, 2027, will be the reference date for most of India, with exceptions for Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand due to snow-bound conditions.
The 2027 Census will be conducted digitally for the first time using mobile applications. Citizens will also be able to self-enumerate through an online portal. Over 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, supported by 1.3 lakh Census officials, will be involved in the mammoth exercise.
The Census will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, known as the Houselisting Operation (HLO), data on housing conditions, assets, and amenities will be collected.
The second phase, the Population Enumeration (PE), will cover demographic, socio-economic, and cultural information for each individual.
The questionnaire will include details on assets like mobile phones, vehicles, TVs, and internet access. It will also capture information on food grain consumption, sanitation, water and electricity sources, house construction materials, number of rooms, cooking fuel, LPG connection, and family structure. Questions will also inquire if the head of the household is female or belongs to Scheduled Castes or Tribes.
Caste enumeration will also be included, marking a significant change in data collection scope. While data collection will be completed by March 1, 2027, officials estimate that compilation and publication could take two to three years.
Preparatory work for Census 2027 began in 2019 when states were asked to constitute Census Coordination Committees (CCCs). These committees comprise representatives from departments like revenue, local administration, rural development, panchayats, and education. A pre-test covering methodology, logistics, and questionnaire feasibility was also conducted in 2019.
To ensure smooth execution, the Centre has urged state governments to notify all proposed boundary changes to the Registrar General of India by the deadline and refrain from making any adjustments between January 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027.
(With inputs from agencies)
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