The notification also provides for an option of self-enumeration, which will be available for 15 days immediately preceding the start of the house-to-house houselisting exercise.
Published Jan 08, 2026 | 4:43 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 08, 2026 | 4:43 PM
The 2021 census was postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Synopsis: The Union government has announced that Phase I of the Census of India 2027, covering houselisting and the housing census, will be conducted across all States and Union Territories between April and September 2026.
The Union government has notified the schedule for Phase I of the Census of India 2027, covering the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO). The exercise will be conducted between 1 April and 30 September 2026 across all States and Union Territories.
According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 7 January, houselisting operations will be carried out over a 30-day period, with the specific dates to be determined separately by each State and Union Territory.
The notification also provides for an option of self-enumeration, which will be available for 15 days immediately preceding the start of the house-to-house houselisting exercise, as per schedules notified by the States and Union Territories.
The exercise will be carried out under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990, with a reference date of 12 am on 1 March 2027.
For the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 12 am on 1 October 2026.
The reference time marks the exact moment used to decide who is counted in the census. Anyone alive at that moment is included, while those born after or who died before are not.
The upcoming census will be the first to be held since 2011, and the first since 1931 to include comprehensive caste data beyond Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The 2021 census was postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, details regarding the methodology and scope of the caste enumeration are yet to be finalised.
Several States, including Bihar, Karnataka, Telangana and Odisha, have already conducted independent caste surveys to assess the composition of their populations and improve the implementation of targeted affirmative action.
Based on the findings of these surveys, Telangana and Bihar have passed legislation to address community-specific socio-economic disparities.
Earlier this year, the Union Cabinet approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the national census. The decision followed sustained pressure from the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which has been demanding a nationwide caste census.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
