New Delhi: The Narendra Modi-led central government Monday notified the Census to estimate the population of the country and demographic details in 2027. This census, initially set to take place in 2021, will also have data on caste identities of the population.
The notification Monday came hours after the Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the preparations for the Census.
The exercise is set to be carried out in two phases with two separate reference dates for population. It will be the 16th such exercise and eighth since Independence.
In the first phase, a Houselisting Operation (HLO) will be carried out, during which enumerators will record all buildings, houses, and households in a specific area along with data on housing characteristics, amenities, and assets.
In the second phase, there will be Population Enumeration (PE), under which the government will store the data concerning the demographic, socio-economic, cultural and other details of every person throughout the country.
“The ensuing Census will be conducted through digital means using mobile applications. Provision of self-enumeration would also be made available to the people,” the MHA had said Sunday.
The government said it will deploy about 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors along with nearly 1.3 lakh Census functionaries for the process, that will involve more than 140 crore people.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948), and in supersession of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs (Office of the Registrar General, India) number S.O. 1455(E), dated the 26th March, 2019 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, section 3, sub-section (ii), dated the 28th March, 2019, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby declares that a census of the population of India shall be taken during the year 2027,” the Registrar General of India said in a gazette notification Monday.
“The reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of the 1st day of March, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” it further said.
“In respect of the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of the 1st day of October, 2026,” the notification concluded.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: The Centre must use the caste census wisely