India to Conduct 16th Census with Caste Enumeration in 2027

New Delhi, Jun 16 (PTI) - The Indian government has announced plans to conduct its 16th census, which will include caste enumeration, in 2027, marking a significant development since the last census exercise in 2011.

According to an official notification, the census for snow-bound areas like Ladakh will have a reference date of October 1, 2026, while for the rest of the country, the date will be March 1, 2027. The notification specifies, "The reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of March 1, 2027, except for snow-bound regions like the Union territory of Ladakh and non-synchronous regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where it will be 00.00 hours of October 1, 2026."

The comprehensive census will involve approximately 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, supported by around 1.3 lakh census functionaries equipped with digital devices. The process will also enable self-enumeration for the public, aiming to deliver accurate population data nationwide.

The government has confirmed that caste-based data will be collected during this exercise. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already reviewed preparations for the census in a meeting with key officials, including the Union home secretary and Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan.

This monumental task will be executed in two phases. Phase one, known as the Houselisting Operation (HLO), will gather information regarding the housing conditions, assets, and amenities of each household. The second phase, or Population Enumeration (PE), will capture the demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and other pertinent details of every individual within the households.

As the 16th census since its inception and the eighth after India gained independence, stringent data security measures will be implemented to ensure the safeguarding of data during collection, transmission, and storage.

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