Hyderabad: The Centre will formally kick off preparations for India’s 16th national Census with a gazette notification on Monday, June 16, the Home Ministry said. The announcement comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the groundwork.
The massive headcount, pushed to 2027 after pandemic delays, will unfold in two stages. First up: house listing and data collection on living conditions, property ownership, and basic amenities. Next comes the full population count, covering personal, socio-economic, cultural, and caste data.
This marks a historic shift. For the first time since 1931, caste will be recorded in a national Census.
And it’s going digital. Enumerators will use mobile apps, and residents can self-report their details online.
Most of India will see the enumeration start on March 1, 2027. But in snow-bound regions—like Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand—it begins earlier on October 1, 2026.
The scale is vast: around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors will hit the ground, aided by another 1.3 lakh support staff. The project is expected to cost over ₹13,000 crore.
It’ll be the eighth Census since Independence and the 16th overall. The 2021 edition was shelved due to COVID-19.
