Census 2027 to count caste across communities for first time since Independence

The Centre has notified 40 questions for the population enumeration phase of Census 2027, putting caste at the heart of the exercise for the first time since Independence.

The questionnaire, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Office of the Registrar General, India, on August 14, includes a specific question on Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and caste for every person. The move marks a significant departure from post-Independence censuses, which systematically enumerated Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes but did not undertake comprehensive caste enumeration for other communities.

Caste appears as question number 10 in the Household Schedule under the heading “Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Caste”. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs had approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in Census 2027 on April 30, 2025.

The 40-question schedule seeks a wide range of information about individuals, covering demographic details, education, employment, migration, family circumstances and other socio-economic indicators.

Enumerators will record a person's name, relationship with the head of the household, sex, date of birth, age, marital status, age at marriage and spouse's name. Questions will also cover nationality, religion, caste, details of parents, disability, mother tongue and other languages known, literacy and digital literacy, school or college attendance and the highest level of education completed.

The employment section asks whether a person worked during the previous year, the nature of their economic activity, occupation, industry, trade or service, class of worker and non-economic activity. Respondents will also be asked whether they are seeking or available for work and about their travel to their place of work.

The migration-related questions will seek details of a person's birthplace, place of last residence, reason for migration, length of stay at the present village or town and permanent residential address.

For women in specified categories, the schedule will record the number of children surviving, the number of children ever born alive and the number of children born alive during the preceding year.

The questionnaire also goes beyond conventional demographic data, asking about the place where a person received the Covid-19 vaccine, the total number of bank accounts and the availability of a driving licence. It also includes questions seeking mobile number, Aadhaar number, voter ID and, for Indian passport holders, passport details.

The population enumeration is the second phase of Census 2027. The first phase, involving house listing and housing enumeration, is being conducted during 2026 and covers housing conditions, household amenities and assets. The second phase is scheduled for February 2027, except in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, where it will be conducted in September 2026.

Census 2027 is also India's first digital census, with data collection being carried out through digital tools and an option for residents to self-enumerate.

The Centre has issued the directions under Section 8(1) of the Census Act, 1948, authorising census officers to ask the specified questions from people residing within their respective areas.

The census is governed by the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990, and is a Union subject under the Constitution. The Centre has said individual information collected during the exercise will remain confidential. Section 15 of the Census Act prohibits the disclosure of personal census information and restricts its use as evidence in court or its disclosure to institutions.

The intention to conduct Census 2027 was notified in the Gazette of India on June 16, 2025. The Union Cabinet has approved an outlay of Rs 11,718.24 crore for the exercise.

The first phase is being conducted over 30 days in each state and Union Territory, according to schedules fixed in consultation with the respective governments. Residents are also being given a 15-day window for self-enumeration immediately before the house-to-house exercise.

With caste enumeration now formally included in the second phase, Census 2027 will produce the country's most comprehensive official caste data since Independence, alongside detailed demographic, economic, educational and migration information.