Census, including caste data, likely to begin on March 1, 2027

The nationwide Census, including caste data, is likely to begin on March 1, 2027, according to sources, as reported by News18. Census is the exercise of counting the population of the country.

The exercise is expected to roll out nationwide in two phases. It will begin early in snow-bound regions. In Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Census is likely to begin in October 2026. The second phase covering other parts of the country will be held from March 1, 2027, sources told News18.

The move comes weeks after the announcement by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who confirmed that the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the next census.

“Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided to include caste enumeration in forthcoming census exercise,” Vaishnaw had said in April, calling it a step to ensure social and economic empowerment and holistic national progress.

The exercise, however, seems to have been postponed from 2026. Earlier, Union Minister for Coals and Mines G Kishan Reddy had said that the Census would be conducted in 2026. In an interview with The Hindu, the minister said the Census is expected to be conducted in 2026 to align with the schedule of delimitation of the Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats, a constitutional requirement.

In India, the Census is normally conducted every decade. The last national Census took place in 2011. Then, it was supposed to be conducted in 2021, but was delayed, due to coronavirus pandemic. The 2027 Census, when it is held, will therefore be the first in 16 years.