New Delhi: The Government of India has officially announced that the next decennial Census will take place in 2027. This announcement comes via a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The reference date for the Census has been set as 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027. However, certain regions with seasonal accessibility issues will have an adjusted reference date. For the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026.

The adjusted reference date for these regions is intended to facilitate field operations during more favorable weather conditions. This provision will enable the Census to be conducted efficiently in areas with geographical and climatic challenges.

The new notification supersedes the previous one issued on March 26, 2019, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Census, originally scheduled for that year, has been postponed indefinitely and will now be replaced by the 2027 enumeration timeline.

The announcement sets the stage for preparatory activities, including planning, recruitment, training, and logistical arrangements required for conducting the 16th decennial Census of India. The government will now begin making necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth and successful Census operation.

Meanwhile, yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting and reviewed the preparation for the forthcoming Census with the Union Home Secretary, RG&CCI, and other senior officials in New Delhi. 

Taking to social media platform, Shah wrote,”Reviewed the preparations for the 16th Census with senior officials. Tomorrow, the gazette notification of the census will be issued. The census will include caste enumeration for the first time. As many as 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh census functionaries will conduct the operation with cutting-edge mobile digital gadgets.”

The Census will be conducted in two phases, starting with the Housing Listing Operation (HLO), which will gather information on housing conditions, assets, and amenities for each household. This will be followed by the Population Enumeration (PE) phase, which will collect demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and other relevant details about every individual in each household, including caste enumeration.

A massive team of approximately 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, along with 1.3 lakh Census officials, will be deployed to conduct the Census. This will be the 16th Census since its inception and the eighth since India gained independence.

To make the process more efficient and convenient, the Census will be conducted digitally through mobile applications. Additionally, self-enumeration options will be available for the public, allowing individuals to provide their information directly. To ensure the integrity of the data, robust security measures will be implemented to safeguard the collection, transmission, and storage of sensitive information.