New Delhi, Dec 12: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to conduct the Census of India 2027 at a total cost of ₹11,718.24 crore.
As the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world, the Indian Census will be carried out in two distinct phases. The first phase, involving the Houselisting and Housing Census, will take place from April to September 2026. The second phase, the Population Enumeration, will be conducted in February 2027, except in the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound, non-synchronous regions of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where the enumeration will instead occur in September 2026.
Nearly 30 lakh field functionaries will participate in this massive national effort. The Census will employ a mobile application for data collection and a centralised monitoring portal, both designed to enhance data accuracy and oversight. As a result, data dissemination is expected to become significantly more efficient and user-friendly, ensuring that policymakers can access required information instantly. Through the Census-as-a-Service (CaaS) model, ministries will receive clean, machine-readable and actionable datasets.
The Census will cover the country’s entire population, with enumerators—primarily government school teachers appointed by state governments—visiting every household to administer separate questionnaires for the Houselisting & Housing Census and the Population Enumeration. Additional officials at sub-district, district and state levels will support the administration of this exercise.
Census 2027 introduces several new initiatives. For the first time, the entire process will be conducted digitally, with mobile applications available on both Android and iOS platforms. A dedicated Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS) portal has been created to oversee the process in real time. Another innovation, the Houselisting Block Creator web map application, will assist Charge Officers in preparing for field operations. The public will also have the option to self-enumerate. Robust security measures have been built into this extensive digital infrastructure to safeguard the data collected.
The Census will be accompanied by a large-scale publicity campaign to promote nationwide awareness, encourage inclusive participation and support field operations. This outreach will focus on timely, accurate and authentic information sharing.
In a decision made on 30 April 2025, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the 2027 Census. Given India’s vast social and demographic diversity, the second-phase Population Enumeration will electronically capture caste-related data.
Approximately 30 lakh personnel—including Enumerators, Supervisors, Master Trainers, Charge Officers and Principal or District Census Officers—will be deployed for data collection, monitoring and supervision. All personnel will receive appropriate honorariums, as they will carry out Census responsibilities in addition to their regular duties.
