India is set to conduct Census 2027, which the government describes as the world’s largest administrative and statistical exercise. The survey is expected to cover more than 1.4 billion people; the nationwide enumeration will mark a major shift in the way demographic data is collected, with technology replacing traditional paper-based methods and caste details being recorded as part of the official Census for the first time after Independence.The massive exercise will be carried out in two stages. The first phase will focus on houselisting and housing details, followed by the population enumeration phase. To complete the task, the government plans to deploy over three million enumerators, supervisors and other officials across the country, making it one of India’s biggest administrative operations.<h2>A fully digital Census for the first time</h2>Census 2027 is set to bring a major technological overhaul by replacing the paper-based system used for decades with a fully digital process. Instead of filling out physical schedules, enumerators will record responses through secure mobile applications. Residents will also be able to submit their details online through a government portal before the door-to-door survey begins.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/gaganyaan-the-mission-that-could-change-how-the-world-sees-india-s-space-ambitions-1783690204848">Gaganyaan: The mission that could change how the world sees India’s space ambitions</a>The digital framework is designed to make data collection faster and more accurate. Officials will use a web-based mapping application supported by satellite imagery to ensure complete geographic coverage, while field staff will have access to multilingual and offline-enabled mobile tools. The information collected will be transmitted directly to central databases, reducing the need for manual data entry and helping speed up verification, processing and publication of Census data. Enhanced security features have also been built into the system to safeguard the information collected.<h2>Caste enumeration returns to the national Census</h2>Among the biggest changes in Census 2027 is the decision to include caste enumeration as part of the nationwide population count. The move was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs in April 2025, ending years of debate over how caste data should be collected.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-global-supply-chains-shift-can-india-become-the-next-manufacturing-hub-1783159714059">As global supply chains shift, can India become the next manufacturing hub?</a>The government has said the information will be recorded during the Population Enumeration phase using the same digital system as the rest of the Census. It argues that updated caste data is essential for understanding India's changing social landscape and for designing targeted welfare and development policies. Unlike previous proposals for a separate caste survey, the exercise will now be integrated into the national Census, making it the first such comprehensive enumeration since Independence.<h2>Continuing a 150-year-old tradition</h2>Census 2027 also marks another milestone in India's demographic history. According to the Registrar General of India, it will be the country's 16th Census since the first nationwide exercise in 1872 and the eighth conducted after Independence. The previous Census was held in 2011.The exercise will continue to be governed by the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990. The official reference date is March 1, 2027, while snow-bound regions will follow an earlier reference date to account for seasonal challenges.By combining a decades-old census tradition with digital technology and expanded demographic data collection, Census 2027 is expected to become one of the most significant population enumeration exercises ever undertaken globally.Watch | One Nation One Election: Election Commission ready to conduct simultaneous polls from 2029<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/one-nation-one-election-election-commission-ready-to-conduct-simultaneous-polls-from-2029-1784191303623/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/one-nation-one-election-election-commission-ready-to-conduct-simultaneous-polls-from-2029-1784191303623/embed</a>&nbsp;

India’s Census 2027 will be the world’s largest population exercise, introducing digital-first data collection, self-enumeration and caste counting for the first time since Independence.

India is set to conduct Census 2027, which the government describes as the world’s largest administrative and statistical exercise. The survey is expected to cover more than 1.4 billion people; the nationwide enumeration will mark a major shift in the way demographic data is collected, with technology replacing traditional paper-based methods and caste details being recorded as part of the official Census for the first time after Independence. The massive exercise will be carried out in two stages. The first phase will focus on houselisting and housing details, followed by the population enumeration phase. To complete the task, the government plans to deploy over three million enumerators, supervisors and other officials across the country, making it one of India’s biggest administrative operations. A fully digital Census for the first time Census 2027 is set to bring a major technological overhaul by replacing the paper-based system used for decades with a fully digital process. Instead of filling out physical schedules, enumerators will record responses through secure mobile applications. Residents will also be able to submit their details online through a government portal before the door-to-door survey begins. Also read | Gaganyaan: The mission that could change how the world sees India’s space ambitions The digital framework is designed to make data collection faster and more accurate. Officials will use a web-based mapping application supported by satellite imagery to ensure complete geographic coverage, while field staff will have access to multilingual and offline-enabled mobile tools. The information collected will be transmitted directly to central databases, reducing the need for manual data entry and helping speed up verification, processing and publication of Census data. Enhanced security features have also been built into the system to safeguard the information collected. Caste enumeration returns to the national Census Among the biggest changes in Census 2027 is the decision to include caste enumeration as part of the nationwide population count. The move was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs in April 2025, ending years of debate over how caste data should be collected. Also read | As global supply chains shift, can India become the next manufacturing hub? The government has said the information will be recorded during the Population Enumeration phase using the same digital system as the rest of the Census. It argues that updated caste data is essential for understanding India's changing social landscape and for designing targeted welfare and development policies. Unlike previous proposals for a separate caste survey, the exercise will now be integrated into the national Census, making it the first such comprehensive enumeration since Independence. Continuing a 150-year-old tradition Census 2027 also marks another milestone in India's demographic history. According to the Registrar General of India, it will be the country's 16th Census since the first nationwide exercise in 1872 and the eighth conducted after Independence. The previous Census was held in 2011. The exercise will continue to be governed by the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990. The official reference date is March 1, 2027, while snow-bound regions will follow an earlier reference date to account for seasonal challenges. By combining a decades-old census tradition with digital technology and expanded demographic data collection, Census 2027 is expected to become one of the most significant population enumeration exercises ever undertaken globally. Watch | One Nation One Election: Election Commission ready to conduct simultaneous polls from 2029 https://www.wionews.com/videos/one-nation-one-election-election-commission-ready-to-conduct-simultaneous-polls-from-2029-1784191303623/embed

India’s Census 2027 will be the world’s largest population exercise, introducing digital-first data collection, self-enumeration and caste counting for the first time since Independence.

From caste data to digital tools: Why India’s 2027 Census will make history

Officials in New Delhi conducted a door-to-door survey on Tuesday (April 20, 2026) for the Census 2027. The exercise initially began on April 16 in areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment jurisdictions. However, it gathered pace on Monday with the House Listing and Housing Census. The survey comprises two stages - physical mapping and geotagging of houses, as well as a door-to-door survey. An official indicated that the first stage has been completed and that the exercise is likely to conclude by May 15. Teams of enumerators on Monday afternoon, including all government school teachers, spread into various localities in the New Delhi district to conduct the exercise. At Sanjay Camp, a jhuggi-jhopri (JJ) colony in Chanakyapuri, 10 enumerators were assigned to cover 2,332 households. After completing their school duties in Moti Bagh and Bapu Dham, the teachers reached the colony around 2:30 p.m. and began the survey, recording responses on the Housing Listing Operations mobile app on their phones. Each enumerator is expected to cover 10 households a day.<h3>Houses marked with a unique census number</h3>As they moved through narrow, densely packed lanes, they were mostly approached by women, many of whom responded from behind curtains. “The kitchen is considered the basic unit of a household. If a building has multiple residents, a family is defined as members who share a kitchen,” said an enumerator. Every household was marked with a unique census number, painted in red on doors or walls where official numbers were missing. The response in Sanjay Camp was varied—while Ahmad Khan, in his 60s, cooperated without questioning the survey, 20-year-old Renu was initially hesitant but agreed to respond after being told it was part of the census. During the survey, 33 questions were covered with topics including materials used in housing, sources of drinking water, types of cooking fuel, access to the Internet, household composition, and others. An enumerator said that while registration of each entry takes about five to ten minutes, depending on connectivity. “If the network is slow or the app doesn’t load, we note responses on paper and upload them later,” said one of the enumerators, who carried printed sheets with columns to record household details such as family members, social category, mobile numbers, and vehicles, along with an instruction manual.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-invokes-cold-war-era-law-white-house-orders-private-firms-to-prioritise-defense-fuel-needs-1776753500405">Trump invokes Cold War-era law; White House orders private firms to prioritise defense fuel needs</a>

The survey comprises two stages - physical mapping and geotagging of houses, as well as a door-to-door survey. An official indicated that the first stage has been completed and that the exercise is likely to conclude by May 15.

Officials in New Delhi conducted a door-to-door survey on Tuesday (April 20, 2026) for the Census 2027. The exercise initially began on April 16 in areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment jurisdictions. However, it gathered pace on Monday with the House Listing and Housing Census. The survey comprises two stages - physical mapping and geotagging of houses, as well as a door-to-door survey. An official indicated that the first stage has been completed and that the exercise is likely to conclude by May 15. Teams of enumerators on Monday afternoon, including all government school teachers, spread into various localities in the New Delhi district to conduct the exercise. At Sanjay Camp, a jhuggi-jhopri (JJ) colony in Chanakyapuri, 10 enumerators were assigned to cover 2,332 households. After completing their school duties in Moti Bagh and Bapu Dham, the teachers reached the colony around 2:30 p.m. and began the survey, recording responses on the Housing Listing Operations mobile app on their phones. Each enumerator is expected to cover 10 households a day. Houses marked with a unique census number As they moved through narrow, densely packed lanes, they were mostly approached by women, many of whom responded from behind curtains. “The kitchen is considered the basic unit of a household. If a building has multiple residents, a family is defined as members who share a kitchen,” said an enumerator. Every household was marked with a unique census number, painted in red on doors or walls where official numbers were missing. The response in Sanjay Camp was varied—while Ahmad Khan, in his 60s, cooperated without questioning the survey, 20-year-old Renu was initially hesitant but agreed to respond after being told it was part of the census. During the survey, 33 questions were covered with topics including materials used in housing, sources of drinking water, types of cooking fuel, access to the Internet, household composition, and others. An enumerator said that while registration of each entry takes about five to ten minutes, depending on connectivity. “If the network is slow or the app doesn’t load, we note responses on paper and upload them later,” said one of the enumerators, who carried printed sheets with columns to record household details such as family members, social category, mobile numbers, and vehicles, along with an instruction manual. Also read: Trump invokes Cold War-era law; White House orders private firms to prioritise defense fuel needs

The survey comprises two stages - physical mapping and geotagging of houses, as well as a door-to-door survey. An official indicated that the first stage has been completed and that the exercise is likely to conclude by May 15.

Door-to-door census survey of 2027 begins in New Delhi, enumerators fan out across national capital

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From caste data to digital tools: Why India’s 2027 Census will make history

Door-to-door Census 2027 begins in New Delhi as teams fan out