Census 2027: house-to-house count in most of India to run from 25 January to 28 February
In one line: The Registrar General notified on 30 October 2026 that population enumeration for Census 2027 will run from 25 January to 28 February 2027 in most of India, with a reference date of 1 March 2027.
Published 31 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, under the Union Home Ministry, notified on 30 October 2026 the schedule for population enumeration, the second phase of Census 2027, in most States and Union Territories. Enumerators will go house to house from 25 January to 28 February 2027. Before that, people can count themselves online in a self-enumeration window from 10 to 24 January 2027. A revisional round to check and correct records will run from 1 to 5 March 2027. The reference date, the moment to which every count relates, is 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027. The notification is issued under section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, read with rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990.
Some areas are left out of this window. Manipur is excluded "till further declaration". Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand, where Assembly elections are due early in 2027, follow an earlier schedule notified on 5 September 2026, with enumeration from 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. Ladakh and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand were counted in September 2026 against a reference date of 1 October 2026, because winter snow makes them hard to reach later. This is the main new development since the poll-bound States' schedule was set in September: the date for the bulk of the country is now fixed.
Census 2027 is India's first digital census: enumerators use a mobile application instead of paper schedules, and a web portal allows self-enumeration. The population schedule has 40 questions, up from 29 in 2011, and includes caste, the first caste enumeration since the 1931 Census. New items include digital literacy, the number of bank accounts and identity numbers such as Aadhaar, if available. The first phase, house-listing and housing census, began in April 2026. The Union Cabinet approved ₹11,718 crore for the exercise, which was due in 2021 but was postponed because of COVID-19. On 16 October the Centre amended the Census Rules to let a State appoint "any person" it finds suitable as an enumerator, a change Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised. The 2011 Census counted about 121 crore people.
Prelims facts
- Population enumeration for Census 2027 will run from 25 January to 28 February 2027 in most of India, with self-enumeration from 10 to 24 January and a revisional round from 1 to 5 March.
- The reference date is 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027; the notification is under section 3 of the Census Act, 1948.
- Manipur is excluded till further declaration; Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand are counted from 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027; Ladakh and snow-bound areas were counted in September 2026 (reference date 1 October 2026).
- The schedule has 40 questions, including caste, the first caste count since 1931, and Census 2027 is India's first digital census.
- The Cabinet approved ₹11,718 crore for Census 2027, which was postponed from 2021 because of COVID-19.
Quick recall
- House-to-house population count for most of India under Census 2027?
- 25 January to 28 February 2027.
- Self-enumeration window for most of India?
- 10 to 24 January 2027.
- Reference date for Census 2027 in most States?
- 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027.
- Under which provision was the 30 October 2026 schedule notified?
- Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, read with rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990.
- Which State is excluded 'till further declaration'?
- Manipur.
- Enumeration dates for Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand?
- 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027.
- How many questions in the Census 2027 population schedule, and in 2011?
- 40 in 2027; 29 in 2011.
- Which section of the Census Act keeps individual records confidential?
- Section 15.
Prelims practice question
With reference to Census 2027, consider the following statements:
1. The reference date for population enumeration in most States is 00:00 hours on 1 March 2027.
2. Census 2027 will enumerate caste for the first time since the 1931 Census.
3. The census is conducted under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the census is conducted under the Census Act, 1948; the October 2026 schedule was notified under section 3 of that Act read with the Census Rules, 1990.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: Census, caste data and population as a basis for policy and representation.
- How to use this
Show that the state itself treats caste as relevant enough to count, through the first all-community caste enumeration since 1931.
- Census 2027 counts caste for all communities, the first such enumeration since the 1931 Census.
- The 40-question schedule notified for population enumeration includes caste alongside new items such as digital literacy and bank accounts.
Critically examine the challenges of demographic transition in contemporary India.
Census 2027 will provide the first full population data since 2011 to assess India's demographic transition.
Mains practice question
Census 2027 will be India's first digital census and its first caste enumeration since 1931. Discuss its significance for governance and the challenges in conducting it. (150 words)
Model answer
Census 2027, delayed from 2021 by COVID-19, will count most of India from 25 January to 28 February 2027 with a reference date of 1 March 2027.
Significance
- First data on caste for all communities since 1931, useful for targeting welfare and reservation policy.
- 40 questions, including digital literacy and bank accounts, give a new base for inclusion policy.
- Digital collection through a mobile app and self-enumeration portal can speed up results.
- The first census after 2026 matters for delimitation, frozen until then.
Challenges
- Staggered schedules: four poll-bound States, snow-bound areas and Manipur are counted separately.
- Classifying open caste entries consistently across States.
- Confidentiality of identity data, though section 15 of the Census Act protects records.
- Concerns over the 16 October rule change allowing States to appoint "any person" as enumerator.
A credible, timely census is the foundation for evidence-based policy over the next decade.
The basics
Why this matters
The census is the single largest source of data on who Indians are, where they live and how they live. Seats in legislatures, welfare budgets and planning all lean on it. Census 2027 is also the first to count caste since 1931 and the first to go digital, so its dates and design are examinable.
The legal frame
The census is a Union subject (Entry 69 of the Union List) and is run under the Census Act, 1948. The Act is permanent, so the government only has to notify each census. Section 8 requires people to answer truthfully, and section 15 keeps individual records confidential: they cannot be used as evidence in court. The Office of the Registrar General of India in the Home Ministry runs the operation.
Two phases
A census has two phases. First comes house-listing and housing census, which maps every building and household. Then comes population enumeration, which records each person.
- 1House-listing and housing censusFrom April 2026, maps every building and household
- 2Snow-bound areas and LadakhCounted in September 2026, reference date 1 October 2026
- 3Four poll-bound StatesGoa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand: 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027
- 4Self-enumeration for the restOnline, 10 to 24 January 2027
- 5House-to-house count25 January to 28 February 2027
- 6Revisional round1 to 5 March 2027; reference date 00:00 hours, 1 March 2027
What is new in 2027
The questionnaire has 40 questions against 29 in 2011. It adds caste, digital literacy, the number of bank accounts and identity numbers such as Aadhaar if available. Data are collected on a mobile app rather than paper, and people can fill in their own details on a portal.
- 29 questions in the population schedule
- Paper schedules
- Caste counted only for SCs and STs
- 40 questions
- Mobile app and self-enumeration portal
- Caste counted for all, first since 1931
Why the timing matters
Under the 84th and 87th Constitutional Amendments, the readjustment of seats is frozen until the first census taken after 2026. That makes Census 2027 the likely base for Delimitation, which explains the political attention it draws.
Go deeper
Why it matters for UPSC
Census dates, phases, its law and its new features are classic Prelims material, and caste enumeration and delimitation are live Mains themes in GS1 and GS2.
The core idea
The census is held under the Census Act, 1948 and run by the Registrar General of India. It has two phases: house-listing (from April 2026) and population enumeration. Because some regions are hard to reach in winter or go to the polls early in 2027, the count is staggered: snow-bound areas in September 2026, four poll-bound States from December 2026, and the rest from January 2027. The results will matter for Delimitation, which is frozen until the first census after 2026.
Numbers and dates to remember
- Self-enumeration: 10 to 24 January 2027.
- House-to-house count: 25 January to 28 February 2027.
- Revisional round: 1 to 5 March 2027; reference date 00:00 hours, 1 March 2027.
- Poll-bound four: 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027.
- 40 questions (29 in 2011); caste counted, first since 1931.
- ₹11,718 crore approved.
Where to go next
- Census Act, 1948: the permanent law behind every census and its confidentiality rule.
- Registrar General of India: the office that runs the census.
- Delimitation: why the first census after 2026 matters for seats.
Go deeper: the promise and risks of Census 2027
Supporters see three gains. First, caste data for all communities, absent since 1931, can sharpen welfare targeting and debates on reservation. Second, the 40-question schedule adds digital literacy, bank accounts and identity numbers, which give a baseline for financial and digital inclusion. Third, a mobile app and a self-enumeration portal can cut the long lag between counting and publication.
The risks are also real. Caste entries are open-ended, and a consistent way to classify thousands of names has to be settled. Collecting identity numbers raises privacy questions, although section 15 of the Census Act, 1948 bars use of individual records as evidence. A staggered count across regions needs careful handling so that people are not missed or counted twice. The 16 October 2026 amendment letting States appoint "any person" as an enumerator drew criticism from the Opposition.
The largest stakes lie in Delimitation. Because seat readjustment is frozen until the first census after 2026, Census 2027 data could reshape seat shares among States.
For administration, the Registrar General of India must deliver on time: the census was due in 2021 and was postponed because of COVID-19, so planning has relied on 2011 data for over a decade.
Census Act, 1948
The permanent law that makes every census possible.
In one line: The Census Act, 1948 is the permanent central law under which every Indian census is notified and conducted.
What it does
Because the Act is permanent, the government does not need a new law for each census; it notifies the census and its dates under section 3. Section 8 obliges people to answer questions truthfully. Section 15 makes individual records confidential and inadmissible as evidence; only aggregated tables are published. The procedural details sit in the Census Rules, 1990.
Why it is in the news
The 30 October 2026 schedule for population enumeration was notified under section 3 of the Act read with rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules. The rules were also amended on 16 October 2026 to let a State appoint any suitable person as an enumerator.
Where to go next
Registrar General of India
Who actually runs the census.
In one line: The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, under the Union Home Ministry, conducts the census and oversees civil registration.
The office
The same officer holds two roles: Census Commissioner, who plans and conducts the census, and Registrar General, who oversees registration of births and deaths under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. The current incumbent, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, signed the 30 October 2026 notification.
What the office is doing now
It has notified the 40-question population schedule, a georeferenced self-enumeration portal and a mobile app for enumerators, and has set staggered schedules for snow-bound areas, poll-bound States and the rest of India.
Where to go next
Registrar General of India: every story that connects to it (3)
Delimitation
Why the first census after 2026 could redraw political maps.
In one line: Delimitation is the redrawing of constituency boundaries and the readjustment of seats among States on the basis of census population.
The freeze
Articles 82 and 170 provide for readjustment after each census. To avoid penalising States that controlled population growth, the 84th and 87th Constitutional Amendments froze the readjustment of seats until the first census taken after 2026.
Why Census 2027 matters
Census 2027 is the first census after 2026, so its data are expected to be the base for the next readjustment. States with slower population growth worry that their share of seats could fall, which makes the census politically sensitive.
Where to go next
Take the 31 October 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers