The first phase of Census 2027 will begin with a houselisting campaign between April 1 and September 30, 2026. During this period, the option of self-enumeration will also be available. The digital census will be conducted in two phases: houselisting and housing enumeration in April-September 2026, and population enumeration in February 2027.

The first phase of Census 2027 will be conducted between April 1 and September 30 this year with a house-listing drive in all states and union territories, a government notification said on Wednesday. A 30-day period has been specified by each state and union territory for the purpose.

The notification issued by the Home Ministry said there will also be an option for self-enumeration during the 15-day period immediately before the start of the 30-day house-listing drive. The census, conducted every ten years, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was earlier scheduled to be held in 2021.

PC: Sanskriti IAS

The digital census will be conducted in two phases.

House listing and housing census from April to September 2026, and population census in February 2027. According to a notification issued by Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, the central government declares that the house listing exercise as part of Census of India 2027 will be carried out in all states and union territories between April 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026, during a period of 30 days specified by each state and union territory.

For the first time, the census will be digital.

It is worth noting that for the first time, the census will be conducted digitally. The release of the schedule for the first phase of this exercise formally marks the beginning of the ten-year process that was delayed until the 2021 census due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 12 last year, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Modi approved the proposal to conduct the Census of India 2027 at a cost of ₹11,718.2 crore. Caste identification will also be included in the population enumeration phase of the latest census.

PC:NBT