New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Friday passed the proposal to conduct the Census starting next year for which it approved a budgetary allocation of Rs 11,718 crore.
Originally scheduled in 2021, the Union Census would for the first time include population data on caste. Overall, it would be the 16th such exercise in the country and the eighth exercise since Independence in 1947.
The first phase, scheduled to start in April next year, will see around 30 lakh enumerators and other field workers will carry out mapping of buildings, houses, to gather data on households such as quality of amenities in water, electricity, latrine, kitchen fuel, along with assets such as TV, phone, and vehicle, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini
Vaishnaw said Friday at a press briefing.
The first phase, he said, would run until September.
In the second leg, enumerators would count the number of people and record their details under categories such as name, age, sex, relationship to the head, marital status, language, education, economic activity, place of birth/residence, religion, fertility, and disability status.
Addressing queries on the Census and those explicitly related to the state column, Vaishnaw said the government would issue a “well-thought through” gazette notification detailing the questions and identification steps that will set the terms of the exercise.
The population count will take place in February 2027, except for snow-bound states and Union Territories such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, which will be conducted in September 2026.
Vaishnaw said work is underway to notify census functionaries in consultation with state governments. “A lot of importance has been given to the protection of data collected during the census. The Census process, to be held digitally, has been created with a robust and sound way of managing digital data protection.”
“Census is the biggest source of primary data at village, town and ward level providing micro level data on various parameters including Housing Condition; Amenities & Assets, Demography, Religion, SC & ST, Language, Literacy & Education, Economic Activity, Migration and Fertility. The Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990, provide the legal framework for the conduct of the Census,” a government spokesperson said in a statement.
According to government-provided details, the 2027 Census would also be the first such exercise in which people could self-enumerate, providing all required information in the application form via digital devices.
To maintain and update real-time data collected during the process, the Centre has established a dedicated portal, the Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS).
The Registrar General of India, the principal body overseeing the entire process, will deploy enumerators, supervisors, master trainers, charge officers, and Principal/District Census Officers to collect data and monitor and supervise the whole operation.
“All the Census functionaries will be paid a suitable honorarium for the work of the Census as they will be doing this work in addition to their regular duties,” the government spokesperson further said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)