Centre issues notification for first phase of Census of India 2027

Source: BS

Subject: Miscellaneous

Context: The Centre has issued the notification for the first phase of the Census of India 2027, marking the formal start of India’s largest statistical exercise after a gap of more than a decade.

About Centre issues notification for first phase of Census of India 2027:

What it is?

• The Census of India 2027 is the 16th Census overall and the 8th after Independence, conducted under the Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990.
• It will be carried out in two phases:
  1. Houselisting and Housing Census (HLHC): April–September 2026
  2. Population Enumeration (PE): February 2027

(Special schedule for Ladakh and snow-bound regions)

• The exercise is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India.

Brief history of Indian Census:

• 1872: First non-synchronous census conducted under British rule.
• 1881: First synchronous all-India Census.
• 1951: First Census after Independence.
• Conducted every 10 years, forming the backbone of India’s demographic and socio-economic data system.
• Provides granular data down to village and ward level, unmatched by any other survey.

New features in Census 2027:

• First fully digital Census: Data collection through mobile applications (Android & iOS) instead of paper schedules.
• Self-enumeration facility: Citizens can fill details online 15 days prior to field enumeration.
• Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS): Real-time digital monitoring of enumeration and supervision.
• GIS-based House listing Block (HLB) Creator: Web-map application for accurate geo-referencing of census blocks.
• Caste enumeration: For the first time since 1931, caste data will be collected electronically in the Population Enumeration phase.
• Census-as-a-Service (CaaS): Clean, machine-readable datasets for Ministries to enable faster, evidence-based policymaking.

Significance:

• Policy formulation: Foundational data for welfare schemes, reservations, delimitation, and fiscal transfers.
• Digital governance: Enhances accuracy, speed, transparency, and usability of census data.
• Social justice: Caste enumeration will aid targeted social and economic interventions.