Cabinet clears Rs 11,718 cr for Census 2027; headcount to begin from April

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting the Census of India in 2027, marking the first time caste enumeration will be incorporated into the country’s official decadal count.

- NARESH BISWANI

The exercise will also be India’ first fully digital Census and will involve one of the largest data collection operations undertaken globally.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, briefing reporters after the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the decision sets in motion the 16th Census since Independence. He noted that the exercise would be carried out using digital tools to improve accuracy, reduce processing time and strengthen data security.

“This will become the first ever digital census,” Vaishnaw said. According to the minister, nearly 30 lakh enumerators will be deployed across the country, visiting every household to collect information through mobile applications designed for both Android and iOS platforms. The system will also allow citizens to opt for self-enumeration.

The use of handheld devices and the central monitoring portal, he said, is expected to contribute to better quality data.

The decadal Census, originally scheduled for 2021, was deferred due to the spread of COVID-19 nationwide. The new timetable sets house listing and housing Census activities between April and September 2026. Population Enumeration will follow in February 2027. For Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Population Enumeration phase will be conducted in September 2026.

Vaishnaw said the digital infrastructure supporting the exercise is designed as a secure and comprehensive platform.