The Central government on Wednesday formally notified the first phase of Census 2027, announcing that houselisting operations will be conducted from April 1 to September 30, 2026, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
As per the notification, the exercise will be carried out across all states and Union territories, with each state and UT allotted a 30-day window within the six-month period. A self-enumeration facility will also be made available to citizens 15 days prior to the start of houselisting operations in their respective areas.
“…the Central government hereby declares that the houselisting operations of the Census of India 2027 shall take place between April 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 in all states and Union territories in India during the period of thirty days specified by each state and UT,” said a gazette notification issued by Registrar General of India (RGI) Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan.
“There shall also be an option for self-enumeration which shall be conducted in fifteen days’ time period just before the start of house to house houselisting operations of thirty days,” Narayan said.
The much-delayed 16th Census, which will include caste enumeration, was announced by the government last year and will be conducted in two phases, with the entire process expected to conclude by March 1, 2027.
During the first phase, enumerators will visit households to collect information on housing conditions, assets and amenities, while also mapping houses for the population count. The second phase—Population Enumeration (PE)—will be conducted from February 1, 2027, during which demographic, socio-economic and cultural details of every individual will be recorded.
It may be noted that the RGI has directed all states and UTs to appoint census functionaries, including principal census officers and district census officers, by January 15, and register them on the census portal. States have also been asked to identify enumerators and supervisors in advance, with one enumerator assigned to 700–800 persons and one supervisor overseeing the work of six enumerators. Additionally, states have been advised to keep 10 per cent reserve staff for contingencies.
In December, the Union Cabinet approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting Census 2027. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the upcoming census would be India’s first fully digital census, enabling faster availability of data. He added that around 18,600 technical personnel would be engaged for approximately 550 days at the local level to complete various tasks related to the census.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times)