Census 2027: The First Digital and Caste-Based Census

Context

The Central Government has approved the proposal to conduct the 2027 Census of India. ₹11,718.24 crore has been approved for this purpose. This decision was taken at the Union Cabinet meeting on December 12, 2025. Census 2027 will be the eighth census of independent India and the 16th census of the country overall.

Legislative and Budgetary Details

• NPR Ambiguity: Unlike in 2019, this government statement does not mention a separate budgetary allocation for updating the National Population Register (NPR).
• NPR Status: The NPR was first collected in 2010 and updated in 2015. It already contains a database of 1.19 billion residents.
• Data Privacy: The Census Act, 1948, prohibits sharing census data, while NPR data can be shared with state governments and government agencies.

Digital Initiatives and Methodology

This will be the 'first digital census', adopting the following methodologies:

1. Data Collection: Data will be collected using mobile applications (Android and iOS).
2. Management and Monitoring: A dedicated portal, the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS), has been developed to manage and monitor the entire process in real time.
3. HLB Creator: The use of the Houselisting Block (HLB) Creator web map application by officers-in-charge is an innovation.
4. Self-Enumeration: The public will also be provided the option to conduct self-enumeration.

Census-as-a-Service (CAAS) and Data Management

According to the government, Census 2027 is considered to be the "world's largest administrative and statistical exercise." Under this initiative, the Census-as-a-Service initiative will be launched, which will provide clean, machine-readable, and usable data to various ministries. The data will be disseminated through improved visualization tools to ensure quick availability of information needed for policymaking.

Inclusion of Caste Census

• The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs decided on April 30 to include caste census in the upcoming census.
• Given the country's vast social and demographic diversity and the challenges associated with it, caste-based data will be collected electronically in the second phase of Census 2027, i.e., Population Enumeration (PE).

Phased Programme of Census

Census 2027 is being conducted in two phases:

Non-synchronous Areas: The population census for the snow-affected areas of the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, will be conducted in September 2026.

Employment and Capacity Building

• Deployment of Field Staff: Approximately 3 million field staff (including enumerators, supervisors, etc.) will be deployed for data collection, monitoring, and supervision of census operations.
• Employment Generation: Approximately 18,600 technical staff will be hired locally for 550 days, generating approximately 10.2 million man-days of employment.
• Personnel: As per the Census Act, 1948, enumerators are all government officials, most of whom are school teachers, who perform this work in addition to their regular duties and receive a reasonable honorarium.

Conclusion

Census 2027 will play a pivotal role in India's administrative, social, and economic planning. The inclusion of digital technology and caste data will make this exercise more inclusive, transparent, and policy-oriented, which is expected to significantly improve the effectiveness of governance and development plans.