India is preparing to conduct its 16th national Census in 2027, which will be the first to use a fully digital process for data collection. The Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, officially announced the plans on X.
The government issued a Gazette notification on June 16, 2025, confirming the Census schedule and instructing all states and Union Territories to publish the notification in their own gazettes and appoint officers to coordinate preparations.
The Census data will be collected using mobile applications that work on both Android and iOS devices. These apps will be available in English, Hindi, and various regional languages. Enumerators and supervisors will enter data directly on their smartphones, which will be sent immediately to a central server, reducing the time taken to process the information and improving its accuracy.
The Census will be carried out in two phases. The first phase, called Housing Listing and Housing Census, will start in April 2026. The second phase, Population Enumeration, will take place in early 2027.
The reference date for most of India will be midnight on March 1, 2027. For snowbound and remote areas such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date is October 1, 2026. To avoid errors, administrative boundaries will remain fixed from January 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, preventing duplication or omission of data due to changes in jurisdiction.
For the first time since 1931, the Census will include caste enumeration, providing a more detailed understanding of India’s social structure. Citizens will also have the option to self-enumerate using a dedicated web portal available during both phases, marking a significant step in digital transformation aimed at better accessibility and transparency.
A three-level training system is being set up to prepare around 34 lakh (3.4 million) enumerators and supervisors. National Trainers will train Master Trainers, who will in turn train Field Trainers to ensure effective data collection. The government plans a nationwide publicity campaign to encourage participation and provide timely, accurate information to the public.
With India’s population now over 1.46 billion, the 2027 Census is expected to provide crucial data to guide future policies, welfare programmes, and the drawing of electoral boundaries.
