India Prepares for Historic 2027 Census with Digital Self-Enumeration

The Ayodhya District Magistrate, Nikhil Tikaram Funde, announced that the initial phase of the 2027 Census will commence on May 20 and run until June 22, focusing on a survey of houses. The census's second phase, involving the counting of individuals, is scheduled for early next year.

"The first phase will involve houselisting, where homes are surveyed and numbered," explained Funde. "This is followed by individual surveys at the start of next year. We have established 16 charges, each supervised by a charge officer and their team of surveyors." Notably, for the first time, citizens can opt for self-enumeration digitally during this census, which will be India's 16th and the eighth since its independence.

The government has released a detailed timeline for the houselisting process, which stretches over 30 days in various states and UTs from April to September 2026, including a 15-day self-enumeration period. Phase I will gather information on housing conditions, available amenities, and household assets. The second phase, taking place in February 2027, will cover demographic, socio-economic, education, migration, and fertility data with specific enumeration for castes.

According to the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, phase II will also see caste enumeration and focus on in-depth demographic data collection. Supported by a significant allocation of Rs 11,718.24 crore, this extensive process underscores the government's commitment to conduct a detailed and robust census.