In Shorts
- Government sanctions ₹11,718 crore for Census 2027 preparation and execution
- Data collection will be rolled out in two phases from April 2026 to February 2027
- Census will be fully digital and include electronic caste enumeration
New Delhi. The central government has formally approved an ₹11,718 crore budget for the upcoming Census of India 2027, marking a significant step forward in national demographic planning. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave the go-ahead for the funding during its latest meeting on Friday. This allocation is earmarked to support one of the largest administrative exercises in the country’s history and is expected to begin next year.
Officials revealed that the census will unfold in two carefully structured phases, kicking off with the house-listing and housing census planned between April and September 2026. This initial stage will gather details on living conditions, household amenities, access to utilities, and other structural data. Following this, the population enumeration phase will begin in February 2027, during which demographic, socio-economic and cultural information will be collected from every household nationwide. In certain snow-bound or high-altitude regions, such as Ladakh and parts of Jammu & Kashmir, enumeration is scheduled slightly earlier to adjust for seasonal constraints.
In a departure from past practice, Census 2027 will be India’s first fully digital count. Enumerators will use mobile applications designed for both Android and iOS platforms to record information in real time. A central online portal will allow authorities to monitor progress and ensure data quality from across the country, while new web mapping tools and digital monitoring systems aim to streamline operations and field coordination. Citizens will also have the option to participate through self-enumeration via digital tools if they choose.
One of the most notable changes in this decennial exercise is the inclusion of electronic caste enumeration, a move approved earlier this year by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs. Officials say that caste data will be captured during the population enumeration phase, reflecting a broad and diverse set of demographic variables that will aid future policy, planning and social analysis.
The census project is also expected to generate substantial employment opportunities, with hundreds of thousands of field workers, supervisors, trainers, and technical staff engaged across thousands of districts. Many of these individuals, including appointed enumerators, are likely to be drawn from government schools and local administrative bodies, working in addition to their regular duties.
Government sources highlight that the digital tools and data infrastructure built for Census 2027 will support more timely and accessible dissemination of results. Through initiatives such as “Census-as-a-Service,” information is expected to be delivered in machine-readable formats that facilitate faster analysis by ministries and policymakers. This focus on user-friendly data delivery underscores the administration’s aim to make critical population insights available more quickly than in previous decades.
With this approval, the government has set in motion preparations for what is anticipated to be an unprecedented demographic snapshot of the nation, shaping planning and governance for years to come.
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