Census 2027 to be conducted in two phases, will include caste enumeration: Centre

The Central Government has officially announced that the Population Census 2027 will be conducted in two distinct phases and will, for the first time in decades, also include the enumeration of castes.

In a statement released on Wednesday, June 4, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) confirmed the government's decision, specifying that the census will be carried out with region-specific reference dates to account for logistical and climatic challenges across the country.

“It has been decided to conduct Population Census 2027 in two phases, along with enumeration of castes,” the ministry said in the official release.

According to the statement, the reference date for most regions of the country will be 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027. However, for climatically sensitive and snow-bound regions such as the Union Territory of Ladakh, and parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026.

The government also announced that an official notification of intent to carry out the census will be published in the Official Gazette on June 16, 2025. This action will be taken in accordance with Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, which provides the legal framework for the decennial population count in India.