India on Wednesday commenced the first phase of Census 2027, initiating what is expected to be the world’s largest population enumeration exercise. The nationwide process begins with a digital self-enumeration drive—an unprecedented step—ahead of the scheduled house listing and population survey stages.
This will be the 16th Census conducted in India and the eighth since Independence. The exercise will be carried out in two phases—House Listing Operation (HLO) and Population Enumeration (PE)—with March 1, 2027 set as the reference date.
For snow-bound and remote areas such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date has been advanced to October 1, 2026.
The process begins with a digital self-enumeration window open from April 1 to April 15, enabling citizens to submit their details online through a secure web-based platform available in 16 languages.
This will be followed by the House Listing and Housing Census from April 16 to May 15. During this phase, officials will record all buildings and structures, gathering information on housing conditions, assets, and access to basic amenities.
The HLO phase will also involve geo-tagging of properties and assigning a unique identification number to each structure, reflecting a significant technological advancement in data collection.
A total of 11 states and Union Territories—including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha and Sikkim—along with areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board, will take part in this phase.
The second stage, Population Enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027 and will focus on collecting individual-level demographic data. Caste enumeration will form an important part of this phase.
The inclusion of caste data marks a significant policy step, indicating the Centre’s intent to broaden the scope of demographic data collection in the country.
Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, stated that the digital self-enumeration platform has been developed with strong security measures to safeguard citizens’ data.
He urged citizens to provide accurate information, emphasising that reliable data is essential for effective policy-making and governance.
The Union government has sanctioned an outlay of over Rs 11,718 crore for Census 2027, highlighting the scale and administrative importance of the exercise.
