Census to be held across India by March 1, 2027; to include caste data too: Government

India's next census – the exercise to count population and along with caste enumeration in the world's most populated country – will be held across India by March 1, 2027, Union government said on Wednesday, June 4. 

The exercise will, however, be held by October 2026 in snow-bound states and union territories, such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the officials said.

The census exercise will be conducted over two phases. The official headcount, and the houselisting process that precedes it, are expected to be completed by March 1, 2027. The exercise will, however, take about three years for the for the numbers to be finalised and released. The final data of the 2027 Census will be published around 2030, after the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Caste details will also be be enumerated during this Census exercise.

“It has been decided to conduct Population Census-2027 in two phases along with enumeration of castes. The reference date for Population Census - 2027 will be 00:00 hours of the first day of March, 2027,” the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.

For the Union Territory of Ladakh, and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00.00 hours of the first day of October, 2026, the MHA said.

"The notification for intent of conducting Population Census with the above reference dates will be published in the official gazette tentatively on 16.06.2025, as per provision of section 3 of Census Act 1948," it said.

This means delimitation will be held after 2030. This will be followed by implementation of Women Reservation and One Nation, One Election or simultaneous elections.

When was the last census conducted?

The last census was done in India in 2011 when the entire process of houselisting and enumeration was completed before the reference date of March 1, 2011.

The Census is a decennial population-based survey that has been conducted 15 times until 2011. A pan-India census, due in 2021, was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The dates of the new exercise come over a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), on 30 April approved the enumeration of castes in the upcoming Census — a surprising decision that the opposition, and Rahul Gandhi have long been demanding amid the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) resistance.

The 2027 census, when it is held, will therefore be the first in 16 years.

INDIA bloc's push for Caste Census

The opposition INDIA bloc led by Rahul Gandhi has been pushing for a Caste census to be held, arguing it is necessary to have an accurate, up-to-date count of population and socio-economic data for effective policy-making.

On 30 April, soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre announced that caste enumeration would be conducted alongside the upcoming census, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated his demand to remove the 50 per cent ceiling on quotas in India.

"The 50 per cent cap on reservations is becoming an impediment to the progress of our country and to the progress of Backward Castes, Dalits and Adivasis and we want this barrier to be eliminated,"Gandhisaid on 30 April.

What is Caste Census?

A Caste Census means collecting Caste-based data during the Census. The data provides details on the distribution of caste groups, their socio-economic conditions, educational status, and other related factors.

The idea behind the caste census is to include questions about caste during the ordinary census exercise.

Caste enumeration was a regular feature of census exercises during British rule from 1881 to 1931. However, with the first census of independent India in 1951, the government discontinued the practice.

After India achieved Independence, the government classified citizens into four broad groups based on social and educational criteria: Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), Other Backwards Classes(OBC), and the General category.

But the data gathered during Censuses since 1951 in India included the numbers of individuals belonging to the SCs and STs, besides religious denominations like Hindus and Muslims.

Members of caste groups other than SCs and STs were not counted. By 1961, however, the Union government had allowed states to conduct their own surveys and compile state-specific lists of OBCs if they wished.

The last caste data available is from the 1931 Census, which was taken before independence. The 1941 Census, which was taken during World War II, also collected data on caste, but it was never released.

Before the 30 April decision, the BJP was seen as averse to the caste census. In fact, many party leaders often targeted the Congress, accusing it of using caste to divide the society.

On 20 July 2021, Minister of State (Home Affairs), Nityanand Rai, told the Parliament that the Modi government has decided it's a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs in the Census.