India Set to Conduct 16th Census in 2027, Including Caste Enumeration for the First Time Since Independence

 

Sixteen years after the last decennial census, the Government of India has officially notified the launch of the country’s 16th Census, set to begin in 2026–27. Marking a significant policy shift, this census will include caste-based data collection — the first such enumeration since the colonial era, and the first ever since Independence.

According to the notification issued on Monday, the census will be conducted with two reference dates, depending on geography and climate.

For snow-bound regions — including Ladakh, parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand — the reference date is October 1, 2026, while for the rest of the country, the exercise will use March 1, 2027, as the reference point.

The census will be conducted in two phases:

1. House Listing and Housing Census (HLO) – to gather data on the housing stock, household amenities, and assets.
2. Population Enumeration – to collect detailed demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and caste-related data.

The exercise is expected to cost over ₹13,000 crore and will involve around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, supported by 1.3 lakh trained census officials. The field personnel will be equipped with digital tablets to enable real-time data entry, bringing in a tech-driven approach for faster processing and improved accuracy.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently reviewed the preparations in a high-level meeting with key officials, including Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan.

The government is aiming for a smooth rollout and has committed to maintaining stringent data security during all stages — from data collection and transmission to storage.

Historic Inclusion of Caste Enumeration

One of the most notable features of the upcoming census is the inclusion of caste enumeration — a step not taken since the British government conducted such counts between 1881 and 1931. Since Independence, all official censuses have excluded caste details, barring categories like Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

This policy change stems from a decision by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on April 30, 2025. The move is being projected as a way to ensure transparency and reduce the political manipulation that has surrounded standalone caste surveys in several states.

A government statement emphasized that including caste enumeration in the nationwide census — rather than conducting separate surveys — would help maintain social harmony and ensure methodological consistency.

While earlier attempts, such as the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 under the UPA government, did collect caste data, the findings were never fully published or utilized due to concerns over data quality.

In recent years, states like Bihar and Telangana have conducted caste surveys, though these have drawn criticism for a lack of transparency and alleged political motives.

Training and Execution Timeline

To manage the scale of the operation, a multi-tiered training structure has been planned. The process begins with around 100 national-level trainers, who will train 1,800 master trainers, cascading down to 45,000 field trainers, and finally to the enumerators and supervisors.

Training is expected to commence in October 2025, well ahead of the tentative start of fieldwork in April 2026.

Citizens participating in the census will respond to a comprehensive set of questions — around three dozen — covering various dimensions of life.

These include housing details, type of fuel used, availability of internet and telecommunication services, vehicle ownership, cereal consumption, sources of drinking water, whether the household is woman-led, and information on SC/ST status, among others.

The census is constitutionally mandated, listed as Entry 69 in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule under Article 246, making it a central government function.

Background and Delays

Originally, the 2021 census was prepared for rollout in April 2020, but it was indefinitely postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, India missed its decennial census cycle for the first time since Independence.

The 2011 census reported India’s population at 1.21 billion, comprising 623.7 million males and 586.5 million females.

Given the significant demographic shifts over the past decade and a half, updated and detailed population data are now seen as essential for informed policy-making, economic planning, and targeted welfare schemes.

There is currently no official confirmation on whether the 2027 census will also include the National Population Register (NPR) update, a contentious issue in recent years.

The government’s silence on NPR in the current notification has led to speculation about a possible decoupling of the two exercises.

In sum, the 2027 census will not only fill a long-standing data gap but also introduce a new era of digital data collection and inclusive demographic enumeration, with caste data potentially reshaping public policy and social discourse for years to come.