Educational institutions across Manipur will remain closed from August 20 to 23 amid a growing law-and-order situation linked to protests over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Census 2027.

The Manipur government has ordered the closure of schools, colleges, higher educational institutions and universities as protests led by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation continue across several districts.

The protesters are demanding that the census be conducted only after implementation of the NRC. Meitei groups argue that the NRC is necessary to identify undocumented migrants who they believe entered Manipur after 1951.

The protests have affected markets, public transport and government functioning, while census preparations have also faced disruption. The government has cancelled appointments for certain census training personnel and is considering discussions with lawmakers in New Delhi over the demand to defer the census.

The development comes ahead of Census 2027, with the first phase in Manipur scheduled to begin on September 1 following the self-enumeration process.

Manipur Schools, Colleges Shut Amid NRC-Census Row And Rising Protests

India’s upcoming Census 2027 is set to include questions related to nationality and caste, bringing these categories into focus in the country’s next population enumeration.

The inclusion of caste-related information is expected to make the exercise politically and socially significant, while questions concerning nationality could provide additional demographic data. The move comes ahead of the nationwide census exercise and is likely to generate debate over representation, social data and government policy.

India Census 2027: Caste & Nationality Questions Added | 40-Question Census Sparks Political Debate

Census 2027 to Include Questions About Nationality and Caste Included in Census

The Centre on Friday notified a set of 40 questions that households will be asked by officials during Census 2027. The notification, issued by Registrar General of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan under the Census Act, 1948, lays down the information to be collected related to caste, religion, education, employment, migration, family and other demographic parameters among others.&nbsp;Details on religion sex, date of birth, age, marital status, age at marriage, spouse's name and nationality will also be collected from each household.&nbsp;This is for the first time since Independence that Census 2027 will undertake comprehensive caste enumeration. Earlier the exercise included the systematic enumeration of only Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) while caste enumeration for other communities was not part of the post-Independence Census. The decision to include caste enumeration in Census 2027 was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) in April 30, 2025.&nbsp;ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-have-strong-ties-with-italy-mea-reacts-to-congress-party-s-meloni-remarks-1786713206406">'We have strong ties with Italy': MEA reacts to Congress leader's Meloni comment</a>&nbsp;Other details to be furnished during the Census would be about parents, disability, mother tongue and other languages known. Literacy and digital literacy status, attendance at educational institutions, highest educational qualification and stream or discipline will also be sought.&nbsp;The questionnaire contains a detailed set of employment-related questions, including whether a person worked during the last year, category of economic activity, occupation, nature of industry, trade or service, class of worker and non-economic activity. It will also ask whether a person is seeking or available for work and about travel to the place of work.&nbsp;The notification comes as preparations for Census 2027 are underway. The Census is being conducted in two phases, with the first phase covering House Listing and Housing Census, followed by Population Enumeration, during which comprehensive demographic, socio-economic and caste-related information will be collected.&nbsp;With inputs from ANI&nbsp;

This is for the first time since Independence that Census 2027 will undertake comprehensive caste enumeration.

The Centre on Friday notified a set of 40 questions that households will be asked by officials during Census 2027. The notification, issued by Registrar General of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan under the Census Act, 1948, lays down the information to be collected related to caste, religion, education, employment, migration, family and other demographic parameters among others. Details on religion sex, date of birth, age, marital status, age at marriage, spouse's name and nationality will also be collected from each household. This is for the first time since Independence that Census 2027 will undertake comprehensive caste enumeration. Earlier the exercise included the systematic enumeration of only Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) while caste enumeration for other communities was not part of the post-Independence Census. The decision to include caste enumeration in Census 2027 was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) in April 30, 2025. ALSO READ: 'We have strong ties with Italy': MEA reacts to Congress leader's Meloni comment Other details to be furnished during the Census would be about parents, disability, mother tongue and other languages known. Literacy and digital literacy status, attendance at educational institutions, highest educational qualification and stream or discipline will also be sought. The questionnaire contains a detailed set of employment-related questions, including whether a person worked during the last year, category of economic activity, occupation, nature of industry, trade or service, class of worker and non-economic activity. It will also ask whether a person is seeking or available for work and about travel to the place of work. The notification comes as preparations for Census 2027 are underway. The Census is being conducted in two phases, with the first phase covering House Listing and Housing Census, followed by Population Enumeration, during which comprehensive demographic, socio-economic and caste-related information will be collected. With inputs from ANI

This is for the first time since Independence that Census 2027 will undertake comprehensive caste enumeration.

Caste to digital literacy:  What are the questions officials will ask households during Census 2027?

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

 The exercise, which is India’s 16th Census and the eighth since Independence, formally began on April 1 with the House Listing and Housing Census phase. 

&nbsp;The exercise, which is India’s 16th Census and the eighth since Independence, formally began on April 1 with the House Listing and Housing Census phase.&nbsp;

Census 2027 starts: Why counting over 1.4 billion Indians matters for policy and representation