New Delhi, Dec 12: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the proposal to conduct the Census of India 2027 at an estimated cost of Rs 11,718.24 crore, marking the beginning of the country’s first fully digital census—set to become one of the largest administrative exercises in the world.
The census will be conducted in two phases: the Houselisting and Housing Census from April to September 2026, followed by the Population Enumeration in February 2027. Due to weather-related constraints, the Population Enumeration for Ladakh and the snow-bound regions of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will be held earlier, in September 2026.
This will be India’s largest digital enumeration initiative, involving nearly 30 lakh field functionaries, including enumerators, supervisors, master trainers, and census officers. For the first time, data will be collected using mobile applications on Android and iOS devices. A Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS) portal has been developed for real-time progress tracking, while a Houselisting Block (HLB) Creator web mapping tool will assist officials in digitally defining enumeration areas.
In a landmark move, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has also approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the 2027 Census. This data will be electronically captured during the Population Enumeration phase, significantly expanding the demographic insights available to policymakers.
Citizens will also be able to self-enumerate through a secure online platform, with the government assuring robust data protection measures.
The census exercise is expected to generate around 1.02 crore man-days of employment, with approximately 18,600 technical personnel to be deployed across local administrative units for nearly 550 days. The initiative will enhance digital and data management skills among personnel, contributing to long-term capacity building.
Supported by advanced digital infrastructure, the government aims to release census data faster than ever before. A dedicated “Census-as-a-Service (CaaS)” platform will provide clean, machine-readable datasets and enhance public accessibility through advanced visualisation tools at the village and ward levels.
Census 2027 will be India’s 16th national census and the 8th since Independence, conducted under the Census Act, 1948, and Census Rules, 1990.
