Union Cabinet Approves Rs 11,718 Crore For Census 2027; To Be Held In Two Phases

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the proposal for conducting the Census of India 2027 at a cost of  Rs 11,718.24 crore.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the proposal for conducting the Census of India 2027 at a cost of  Rs 11,718.24 crore.

Census 2027 will be India’s first fully digital census and is planned to be conducted in two phases. The first phase, covering Houselisting and Housing Census, will take place from April to September 2026. The second phase, which involves Population Enumeration (PE), is scheduled for February 2027.

However, in the Union Territory of Ladakh, the snowbound non-synchronous areas of Jammu & Kashmir, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Population Enumeration will be carried out in September 2026.

Workforce and Operational Structure

Approximately 30 lakh personnel, including enumerators, supervisors, master trainers, charge officers, and district/state officers, will be deployed for data collection, monitoring, and supervision. All personnel will receive honoraria for their work, which is in addition to their regular duties.

At the local level, about 18,600 technical staff will work for roughly 550 days, generating around 1.02 crore man-days of employment. Additional technical staff at the charge, district, and state levels will gain experience in digital data handling, monitoring, and coordination, boosting their skills and future employment prospects.

Key Innovations and Initiatives for Census 2027

1. Fully Digital Census: This will be India’s first digital census, with data collected via mobile applications available for both Android and iOS devices.
    
2. Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS): A dedicated portal will manage and monitor the entire census process in real time.
    
3. Houselisting Block (HLB) Creator: A web map application for Charge Officers to support mapping and data collection.
    
4. Self-Enumeration Option: Citizens will have the option to provide their information directly.
    
5. Security Features: Robust digital security measures will be implemented to protect data.
    
6. Awareness Campaigns: A nationwide publicity campaign will ensure inclusive participation, last-mile engagement, and accurate dissemination of information.
    
7. Caste Enumeration: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has approved the inclusion of caste data, to be collected electronically during the Population Enumeration phase.

Major Impact and Employment Generation

Census 2027 aims to make data available across the country as quickly as possible. The results will be disseminated with improved, user-friendly visualization tools, and data will be accessible down to the smallest administrative units, including villages and wards.

To ensure the successful conduct of the census, around 18,600 technical personnel will be deployed at the local level for approximately 550 days, generating nearly 1.02 crore man-days of employment. Additionally, the engagement of technical staff at charge, district, and state levels will help build capacity in digital data management, monitoring, and coordination. This experience is expected to enhance the future employability of those involved.

Census 2027 

Census 2027 will be India’s 16th national census and the eighth since Independence. Conducted under the Census Act of 1948, it is the country’s main source of data on population, society, and the economy.