Pre-Preparation for Census 2027

Reference

The Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India will conduct a pre-test for Census 2027 in October-November 2025.

Salient Features of the Pre-test

• This pre-test will evaluate the proposed questions, data collection methods, training effectiveness, logistics, printing processes and data quality and identify potential field issues.
• This pre-test will be conducted in selected districts of States and Union Territories covering both rural and urban areas.
• Unlike earlier censuses, the upcoming census will focus on digital enumeration using mobile apps along with traditional paper schedules.
• Geo-referencing of houses will also be integrated in this, which will improve the accuracy of demographic and socio-economic mapping.
• During this, other aspects like self-enumeration, digital mapping tools and a web-based portal for real-time monitoring and management will also be tested.
• The data generated from this will be important for policy planning, welfare schemes, delimitation, fiscal transfers and monitoring of sustainable development goals.

About Census 2027

• Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases between April 1, 2026 and February 28, 2027.
  • First phase: Houselisting and Housing Schedule
  • Population Census
• This will be the first digital and caste census in independent India.
• This is the first census after the year 2011 as the census process to be held in the year 2021 was postponed due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

Decision on National Population Register

• On July 29, the Central government informed the Lok Sabha that no decision has been taken to update the National Population Register (NPR) during the 2027 census.
• As per the Citizenship Rules, 2003 under the Citizenship Act, 1955, the NPR is the first step towards creation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
• The NPR was first created in 2010 and data was collected during the first phase of the 2011 census.
• The NPR database was updated in 2015-16.