New Delhi: India’s next national Census will begin on April 1, marking the first full enumeration exercise after a six-year delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the first phase, house-listing operations, will be conducted between 1 April and 30 September, with each state and Union Territory carrying out the exercise over a 30-day period.
A 15-day window for self-enumeration will be provided ahead of the house-listing phase.
The Census is being conducted in two stages. The first phase will collect data on housing conditions, assets and amenities, while the second phase, scheduled for February 2027, will record population-related demographic, socio-economic and cultural details.
The population count will use 1 March 2027 as the reference date, with exceptions for Ladakh and snow-bound regions. This will be India’s first fully digital Census.
It should be noted that in December 2025, the Union Cabinet approved Rs 11,718 crore for the Census 2027.
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