The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on June 4, 2025, that the upcoming population census, including caste enumeration, will be conducted in two phases with the reference date set at midnight on March 1, 2027.
This will be India’s first digital census, marking a significant milestone as the nation counts its population after a 17-year gap. The last Census was conducted in 2011, while the 2021 exercise was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The official notification detailing the intent and schedule of the census phases is expected to be published in the official gazette around June 16, 2025, in accordance with Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948.
A major development for this census is the inclusion of caste enumeration, a decision approved by the Union Cabinet on April 30, 2025. This move aims to provide a detailed demographic snapshot of India’s diverse social fabric.
For certain regions with challenging terrain and weather, such as the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date for population counting will be midnight on October 1, 2026.
The Census of India is carried out under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990. The last census was conducted in two phases: Phase I, the House Listing Operation, from April to September 2010, and Phase II, the Population Enumeration, from February 9 to 28, 2011.
This upcoming digital census with caste data is expected to be a landmark exercise in capturing India’s evolving demographics comprehensively and accurately.
