Census 2027 to be held in two phases, caste data to be included

India will conduct its population census, including caste enumeration, in two phases, the Union Home Ministry announced on Thursday.

The first phase of the census will be conducted in hilly and snow-bound areas in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The reference date for this phase will be October 1, 2026.

The second phase will be conducted in the rest of the country, and the reference date will be March 1, 2027.

The reference date of a census means the specific point of time for which population data is collected.

The last decennial census exercise was held in 2011. In 2020, India was set to begin the first phase of the exercise – in which housing data is collected – but it had to be delayed as the coronavirus pandemic hit.

On April 30, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs approved the enumeration of caste in the next census.

The Opposition had been demanding a nationwide caste census. The proponents of such an exercise argue that it will help identify the true population of the country’s Other Backward Classes and other castes, in turn paving the way for policies such as expanded quotas.

Commenting on the government’s announcement about the 2027 Census, Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said that there was no need to delay the Census for another 23 months.

“The Modi Govt is capable only of generating headlines, not meeting deadlines,” he said on X.

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