Cabinet clears ₹11,718 crore for Census 2027, India’s first fully digital headcount with caste enumeration

After a 16-year gap, India will conduct its 16th Census in 2027 with a fixed reference date, full digital data capture, caste enumeration, and the involvement of nearly 30 lakh field workers nationwide.

The Union Cabinet has approved a budget of ₹11,718 crore for conducting India’s next nationwide Census in 2027, marking a major administrative and technological milestone for the country. The decision was announced on Friday by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who described the Census as a “critical national exercise” for India.

India last conducted a full Census in 2011. The scheduled 2021 Census was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a long gap in official population data. With this approval, the government has formally confirmed that the next Census will be carried out in 2027, with the reference date fixed at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027.

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Highlighting the historical importance of the exercise, Vaishnaw noted that India has maintained Census records for over 150 years, underlining the continuity and value of this extensive demographic database. The upcoming Census will be India’s 16th overall and the 8th since Independence.

The 2027 Census will provide village, town and ward-level data covering a wide range of indicators, including housing conditions, access to basic amenities, population characteristics, education levels, economic activity, migration patterns and more. The entire process will be conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990.

Two-Phase Census Plan

The Census, notified in the Gazette on June 16, 2025, will be conducted in two distinct phases.
•    Phase I will involve House Listing and Housing Census, carried out between April and September 2026. Each state and Union Territory will complete this phase within a 30-day window, depending on administrative convenience.

•    Phase II, the Population Enumeration (PE), will take place in February 2027. However, due to extreme weather conditions, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand’s snow-bound areas will complete population enumeration earlier, in September 2026.

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India’s First Fully Digital Census

The 2027 Census will be India’s first completely digital Census. Data will be collected using mobile applications on both Android and iOS platforms, ensuring faster, more accurate and paperless operations. The entire process will be monitored in real time through a newly developed Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal.

Several new digital tools are being introduced, including a House Listing Block Creator web-based map tool and an option for self-enumeration, allowing citizens to submit their details directly.

The Census data will also be delivered to government ministries through a Census-as-a-Service (CaaS) model, ensuring information is provided in clean, machine-readable and actionable formats.

Caste Enumeration Included

In a significant development, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has already approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in Census 2027. Caste data will be captured electronically during enumeration, making this the first time since Independence that caste details are collected as part of the decennial Census.

Large-Scale Outreach and Workforce Deployment

To ensure maximum participation, Census 2027 will be supported by a centralised and extensive nationwide awareness campaign, focusing on inclusivity, last-mile engagement and support for field operations. The aim is to provide accurate, official and timely information through coordinated communication efforts.

Around 30 lakh field functionaries, including enumerators, supervisors, master trainers and officials at district and state levels, will be deployed. A majority of enumerators will be government school teachers, who will perform Census duties alongside their regular responsibilities. All field staff involved in the massive operation will be paid honorarium.

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Employment and Skill Development Impact

The Census is expected to generate 1.02 crore human-days of employment. Additionally, over 18,600 technical personnel will be deployed for nearly 550 days to support digital operations, data management and monitoring. According to the government, this will contribute significantly to capacity building and improved future employment opportunities for those involved.