India’s long-delayed Census 2027 will begin with houselisting from April, featuring self-enumeration, digital data collection, and caste enumeration. India’s long-postponed decennial census is officially back on track. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, announced the schedule for the first phase of Census 2027, marking the formal launch of one of the world’s largest administrative exercises.
According to the notification, the initial stage—known as houselisting operations (HLO)—will be conducted between April 1 and September 30, 2026, across all States and Union Territories. Each State will carry out the houselisting process over a 30-day period, with exact dates to be notified individually by State governments.
Citizens will also be allowed to participate through self-enumeration, which will be open for 15 days prior to the start of door-to-door houselisting in each region.
Houselisting To Lay Groundwork For Population Count
The houselisting and housing census phase is a crucial preparatory step for the actual population count. It involves a systematic survey of all buildings, houses, and households, creating a verified framework for the second phase of the census, as per a report on The Hindu.
Clarifying the process, Registrar General Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan stated in the notification: as quoted by NDTV, “There shall also be an option for self-enumeration which shall be conducted in 15 days’ time period just before the start of house-to-house houselisting operations of 30 days.”
The full census was originally scheduled for 2021 but was deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will now be conducted in two phases—the houselisting and housing census from April to September 2026, followed by population enumeration (PE) in February 2027.
Caste Enumeration To Return After Nearly A Century
One of the most significant aspects of Census 2027 is the reintroduction of caste enumeration, which will be captured electronically during the population enumeration phase. This marks the first nationwide caste data collection since Independence.
Caste was last comprehensively recorded during the British-era censuses conducted between 1881 and 1931, and was excluded from post-Independence census exercises. The decision to restore caste enumeration was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on April 30, 2025.
The move is expected to have far-reaching implications for policy planning, welfare schemes, and political discourse.
India’s First Fully Digital Census
Census 2027 will also be India’s first fully digital census. Around 30 lakh enumerators will collect data using mobile applications compatible with Android and iOS platforms. A central monitoring portal will oversee data collection, aiming to improve accuracy, transparency, and real-time supervision.
The reference date for population enumeration has been fixed at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, except for Ladakh, snow-bound regions, and non-synchronous areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
On December 12, 2025, the Union Cabinet approved the conduct of Census 2027 at an estimated cost of ₹11,718.2 crore. Once completed, the government has promised faster and more user-friendly access to census data, allowing policymakers, researchers, and citizens to retrieve information instantly through digital platforms.
