Notification Issued
The Union Home Ministry has released a fresh gazette notification for the 2027 Census. The Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, issued the order. The new notification supersedes the previous one released on March 28, 2019, for the now-abandoned 2021 Census.
The new census will be conducted in India by March 1, 2027. In Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the census will be completed earlier—by October 1, 2026—due to heavy snowfall in winter.
Caste Census: Political Debate
The Congress party criticized the gazette for not specifically mentioning a caste census. The Central government, in response, has confirmed that data for caste will be added. The Union Cabinet had given approval to this decision on April 30, 2025. While no specific start date was indicated earlier, the Ministry has made it clear that population as well as caste censuses will be done by March 4, 2027.
Digital Approach
This Census will be taken entirely online. A mobile app is being developed. Citizens can opt to self-register their information. The Census will be conducted in two broad phases:
- Phase 1: House listing (April to September 2026)
- Phase 2: Population enumeration (February 2027)
The official form, which will delineate the information to be gathered, has not been published yet.
Political Reactions
AICC General Secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked the notification as it didn't contain any new facts and did not even make a mention of caste census. He alleged that the government only embraced caste enumeration after persistent pressure from the Congress party. He also pressed the Centre to adopt the Telangana model, which gathers both social and economic data by caste.
Government Clarification
The Centre replied by affirming that caste count is part of the plan of Census. Officers said that previous announcements, such as that on April 30, had already spoken of it. They refuted any deliberate omission in the gazette.
State-Level Preparations
In Telangana, the national Census preparations have begun. The State Census Director's Office was directed to complete revenue boundaries of villages, mandals, and districts by June 30, 2025. Any changes in the boundaries prior to this date need to be intimated.
Telangana's Separate Survey
The previous year, Telangana had also taken a special census that covered family, economic, and caste information. The Centre recognized this information but made it clear that it would not be used officially, as the National Population Act, 1948, requires a uniform Census in all states. Nevertheless, local authorities may use the state's information on an informal basis.
Enumerator Deployment
The government will deploy nearly 80,000 enumerators in Telangana. They would be primarily government staff and teachers. They will be trained by December 2025.
