The upcoming census will be the first to be held since 2011, as the 2021 exercise was postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published Jun 04, 2025 | 7:40 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 04, 2025 | 7:40 PM
The 2021 census was postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Synopsis: The Union government has announced that the long-overdue decennial census will be conducted in two phases in 2027, alongside a nationwide caste enumeration for the first time.
The Union government has announced that the long-delayed decennial census will be conducted in two phases in 2027, alongside a comprehensive caste enumeration.
A statement issued by the Press Information Bureau on Wednesday, 4 June, said 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 official notification of intent to conduct the census, with the specified reference dates, is expected to be published in the Gazette of India on 16 June, in accordance with Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948.
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, the 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 better implement 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.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while announcing the policy shift, said the move was intended to bring “greater transparency and credibility” to caste data, which until now had been collected primarily through state-led independent exercises rather than the national census.
Meanwhile, the Centre’s plan to carry out population-based delimitation has added another layer of political debate surrounding the upcoming census.
Concerns have been raised that states which have successfully adopted population-control measures may end up being penalised under the new delimitation formula.
Leaders from the southern states such as chief ministers, MK Stalin, Pinarayi Vijayan, Siddaramaiah, and Revanth Reddy, have argued that a delimitation exercise based solely on population would be unjust and would undermine the principles of federalism.
The biggest point of contention is that states which have effectively curbed population growth may lose Lok Sabha representation, while states with higher population growth – largely in the north – stand to gain more seats.
Even Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, though part of the NDA government at the Centre, also indicated unease.
The Supreme Court, too, weighed in on the issue during a hearing in May. A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Satish Chandra Sharma observed that population-based delimitation could disadvantage southern states.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
