Census 2027 Population Enumeration Dates: 25 Jan to 28 Feb 2027, Self-Enumeration and Exceptions

What happened

On 30 October 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified the schedule for Phase II (Population Enumeration) of Census 2027 for most of India. As reported by ANI and India TV, the notification was issued by Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner, under section 3 of the Census Act, 1948 read with rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990.

As quoted by ANI and The News Mill, the notification fixes:

• Self-enumeration (online): 10 to 24 January 2027
• House-to-house enumeration: 25 January to 28 February 2027
• Revisional round: 1 to 5 March 2027
• Reference date: 00:00 hours of 1 March 2027

The schedule leaves out Manipur (till further declaration), Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Most of these areas already have their own, earlier schedules (see Key details).

Background

• Legal basis: Census is a Union subject (Entry 69, Union List, Seventh Schedule). It is run under the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990 (PIB, April 2026).
• Confidentiality: Under section 15 of the Act, personal census information cannot be disclosed under RTI, used as evidence in court or shared with any institution (PIB).
• Which census: Census 2027 is the 16th census and the 8th since Independence. The last was in 2011; Census 2021 was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic (New India Samachar, May 2026; PIB, June 2025).
• Notice of intent: First notified in the Gazette on 16 June 2025 (S.O. 2681(E)). On 5 September 2026 it was superseded by S.O. 4919(E), which lays down three reference dates (Gazette).
• Phase I (Houselisting and Housing Census): Ran from 1 April to 30 September 2026. Each State/UT picked a 30-day window, preceded by 15 days of optional self-enumeration. It recorded housing conditions, amenities and assets (PIB, March 2026).
• Caste: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs decided on 30 April 2025 to include caste enumeration in Phase II. As ANI notes, until the 2011 Census systematic enumeration covered only Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Key details

Three schedules for one census (Gazette of India notifications):

Manipur: A 5 September 2026 notification (S.O. 4917(E), under sections 3 and 17A) deferred houselisting there "till further declaration", and Manipur is again excluded from the new schedule.

The questionnaire: Notified on 14 August 2026 (S.O. 4505(E), under section 8(1)), the Household Schedule has 40 items. Among them:

• Item 10: Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe / Caste
• Religion, mother tongue, disability, migration, fertility
• Literacy and digital literacy status
• Place of COVID-19 vaccination and number of bank accounts
• Mobile, Aadhaar, Voter ID and passport numbers "if available", and whether the person has a driving licence

Digital census (PIB):

• India's first digital census: enumerators collect data on a mobile app (Android and iOS).
• Self-enumeration portal: se.census.gov.in, in 16 languages. After submission a household gets a Self-Enumeration (SE) ID, which the enumerator later uses to confirm the details.
• A management portal (CMMS) tracks progress in near real time.

Scale (PIB): Outlay of Rs 11,718.24 crore; about 31 lakh enumerators and supervisors; 36 States/UTs, 7,092 sub-districts, 5,128 statutory towns, 4,580 census towns and about 6.39 lakh villages. Administrative boundaries are frozen from 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Why it matters

• First count in 16 years: Since 2011, planning has relied on old figures and projections.
• Caste data for all communities: This is the first time since Independence that caste will be recorded for everyone, not just SCs and STs. The data can inform reservation and welfare debates.
• Delimitation and representation: Fresh population figures feed into decisions on seats and constituencies.
• Welfare targeting: Data on migration, disability, workers and digital literacy at village and ward level guide schemes and funds.

Issues and criticism

• Several reference dates: The country has three census moments (1 Oct 2026, 5 Jan 2027, 1 Mar 2027). Field teams will need care with people who move between regions with different schedules, so that no one is counted twice or missed.
• Why poll-bound states go early: The Gazette notifications give no reason for advancing Goa, UP, Punjab and Uttarakhand. *The Pioneer* noted that the assembly terms of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand end by May 2027.
• Manipur left out: Houselisting was deferred and enumeration is excluded "till further declaration", so a full national count depends on when Manipur can be covered.
• Privacy: The schedule asks for Aadhaar, Voter ID and passport numbers where available. The government points to section 15 confidentiality and says data security measures are in place (PIB).
• Data discipline: As reported by India TV, the RGI told State/UT census units on 26 October not to use or release census data or population figures to the press until further instructions.

Way forward

1. Run strong awareness drives so households use the 10–24 January self-enumeration window.
2. Publish clear, standard caste codes and train enumerators to record responses consistently.
3. Audit app security and explain plainly how identity numbers will be stored and protected.
4. Announce a Manipur schedule as soon as conditions allow.
5. Release provisional totals quickly to restore up-to-date data for planning.

Revise this and other polity topics with our weekly current affairs quiz.

Prelims pointers

• Census 2027 is India's 16th census and the 8th since Independence.
• Main Phase II dates: house-to-house 25 Jan – 28 Feb 2027; self-enumeration 10–24 Jan 2027; reference date 1 March 2027.
• Snow-bound areas and Ladakh: enumeration 1–30 Sep 2026, reference date 1 Oct 2026.
• Goa, UP, Punjab and non-snow-bound Uttarakhand: 1 Dec 2026 – 4 Jan 2027, reference date 5 Jan 2027.
• Schedules are notified under section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, read with rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990.
• Questions are notified under section 8(1); the Household Schedule has 40 items, including SC/ST/Caste.
• Section 15 of the Census Act keeps individual census data confidential.
• Census is a Union subject: Entry 69 of the Union List.

One-liners for SSC, Banking and Railways

• Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner: Mritunjay Kumar Narayan.
• Self-enumeration portal for Census 2027: se.census.gov.in.
• Approved outlay for Census 2027: Rs 11,718.24 crore.
• Caste enumeration was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on 30 April 2025.
• The 2011 Census reference date was 1 March 2011.
• Phase I (Houselisting) of Census 2027 ran from April to September 2026.

Preparing for SSC? See the SSC CGL page.

Mains practice question

Q. Census 2027 is India's first digital census and the first since Independence to enumerate caste across all communities. Discuss its significance for governance and the challenges in its conduct. (250 words)

Points to cover:

• Legal framework: Census Act, 1948, Census Rules, 1990, section 15 confidentiality, Union List entry.
• Design: two phases, staggered schedules and reference dates, self-enumeration, mobile app.
• Significance: updated data after 2011, caste data for policy, delimitation, welfare targeting.
• Challenges: multiple reference dates, Manipur, data privacy, accurate caste coding; suggest remedies.