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NEW DELHI: In a major push for modernizing the country’s statistical machinery, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved the proposal for conducting the Census of India 2027 at an estimated cost of ₹11,718.24 crore.
The massive decennial exercise, which will be the 16th Census in the country and the 8th since Independence, is set to be the first-ever digital census, according to a statement by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Key Highlights of Census 2027
The census will be conducted in two distinct phases and will utilize cutting-edge technology for data collection:
Phase I: Houselisting and Housing Census
Schedule: April to September 2026
Phase II: Population Enumeration (PE)
Schedule: February 2027
Note: For the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the Population Enumeration will be conducted earlier, in September 2026.
First-Ever Digital Enumeration
A workforce of approximately 30 lakh field functionaries will be deployed for the gigantic task. The most significant departure from tradition is the shift from paper-based forms to digital tools.
Mobile Applications: Data will be collected using dedicated mobile applications available on both Android and iOS platforms.
Central Portal: The entire process will be managed and monitored in real-time through the dedicated Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS) portal, ensuring better data quality.
Self-Enumeration: Citizens will also be provided with the option to self-enumerate through a web portal.
Data Dissemination: A “Census-as-a-Service (CaaS)” model is planned to deliver clean, machine-readable, and actionable data directly to various ministries for policy-making with the click of a button.
Inclusion of Caste Enumeration
In a move addressing a long-standing demand, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has also approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the Census 2027. This data will be captured electronically during the Population Enumeration phase.
The census is considered the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world, providing granular data crucial for the government’s developmental planning, policy formulation, and demarcation of constituencies.
