India Prepares for Historic 16th Population Census in 2027

The Indian government announces the 2027 Population Census, marking a significant digital shift with new mobile technologies. This 16th edition will be the first to include caste enumeration, deploying a vast workforce of enumerators and enhancing data security measures for comprehensive demographic insights.

The Central Government has officially announced that the next Population Census will commence in March 2027, as detailed in a recent Ministry of Home Affairs gazette notification. This process, executed under the Census Act 1948, supersedes the previous 2018 notification.

For most regions, March 1, 2027, is the reference date. However, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and snow-covered areas in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will adhere to an earlier date of October 1, 2026.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah outlined the Census framework in a meeting, highlighting the first-time inclusion of caste enumeration and deployment of 34 lakh enumerators using digital technologies, ensuring state-of-the-art data security protocols.

(With inputs from agencies.)