India is set to undertake its first-ever digital Census in 2027, marking a major shift in how the country collects and processes population data, reports Press Information Bureau.
The exercise, backed by an outlay of ₹11,718.24 crore, will also include caste enumeration for the first time since Independence, following a decision by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs in April 2025.
The Census, conducted under the provisions of the Census Act 1948, remains one of the largest administrative exercises in the world. Census 2027 will be the 16th such exercise overall and the eighth since Independence. The last Census due in 2021 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the first time, enumerators will use mobile applications for data collection, replacing traditional paper-based methods. The government has also developed a dedicated Census Management and Monitoring System to track progress in near real-time at district, state and national levels.
A key citizen-centric feature is the option for self-enumeration through an online portal, allowing households to submit their data before the enumerator’s visit. Officials say this will help speed up the process and improve accuracy. The use of geo-referenced mapping tools and satellite imagery for creating enumeration blocks is also expected to ensure complete coverage without duplication.
Two-phase exercise
The Census will be conducted in two phases. The first phase, the Houselisting and Housing Census, will take place between April and September 2026, capturing details on housing conditions, assets and amenities.
The second phase, Population Enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027 and will record detailed demographic, socio-economic and cultural information. It will also include caste enumeration, a politically significant addition to the exercise.
For snow-bound regions such as Ladakh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the population count will be conducted earlier, in September 2026. The reference date for the Census has been fixed as March 1, 2027.
Officials have emphasised that data confidentiality will remain a key pillar of the exercise. Under existing law, individual data collected during the Census cannot be shared publicly, used in court, or disclosed under the RTI Act.
The government has also put in place a robust digital security system, including encrypted data transmission and storage in secure data centres designated as Critical Information Infrastructure, compliant with global standards.
Preparations are already underway, including a nationwide pre-test conducted in 2025 covering around 5,000 census blocks. Administrative boundaries have been frozen as of January 1, 2026, to ensure consistency.
The exercise will involve nearly 31 lakh enumerators and supervisors, along with over one lakh officials. More than 80,000 training sessions are being organised to equip them with digital tools and procedures. Officials estimate that the Census operations will generate over one crore man-days of employment.
Experts note that Census data remains critical for governance, helping shape policies on welfare, infrastructure, healthcare and resource allocation. With the addition of digital tools and caste data, Census 2027 is expected to provide more granular and timely insights.
The government says the exercise will strengthen evidence-based policymaking and ensure that development programmes are better targeted to meet the needs of India’s diverse population.
