Census: Indian govt notifies conducting population count from March 1, 2027

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday notified that the next census of India will be conducted in 2027.

The official gazette, issued on June 16, 2025, said that the census will take place under the powers conferred by section 3 of the Census Act, 1948.

According to the notification, the reference date for the census is set at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027. However, for the Union Territory of Ladakh and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026.


This follows the earlier notification issued in 2019 and published in the Gazette of India, which had set the framework for the 2021 census but was later deferred.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reviewed the preparations for the forthcoming census with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and other senior officials. According to the Home Ministry, India’s 16th census since inception and 8th since Independence will be carried out soon.

The census will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the Houselisting Operation (HLO), data related to housing conditions, assets, and household amenities will be collected.

In the second phase, the Population Enumeration (PE), details on demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and other aspects of every person will be gathered.

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The Home Ministry stated that caste enumeration will also be carried out during the census. For the operations, approximately 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors along with around 1.3 lakh census functionaries will be deployed.

The upcoming census will be conducted digitally using mobile applications. A self-enumeration option will also be made available. The ministry added that strict data security measures will be in place during data collection, transmission, and storage.