India’s first digital census since 2011 will occur in two phases from October 2026 to March 2027, featuring caste data and enabling women’s reservation and constituency delimitation.
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India to Conduct First Census Since 2011 in Two Phases, Paving the Way for Women's Quota and Delimitation
NEW DELHI, JUNE 17, 2025 — In a landmark announcement set to reshape India's political and social landscape, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed on Monday that the country’s long-awaited population census will be conducted in two digital-first phases — October 1, 2026, and March 1, 2027. This will be the first national census since 2011, and notably, the first-ever digital census in India’s history.
Two Phases, One Historic Census
The census will unfold in two critical stages:
🔹 Phase 1 – Houselisting Operations (October 1, 2026): This phase will gather data on housing quality, household assets, income brackets, water, electricity, sanitation, and internet access. For the first time, Indian citizens will be able to participate digitally, entering their household data online — a move that marks a major departure from pen-and-paper enumeration.
🔹 Phase 2 – Population Enumeration (March 1, 2027): This will capture individual-level demographic, socio-economic, linguistic, and cultural data, including gender, religion, occupation, literacy, marital status, and for the first time since Independence, caste data.
India to Conduct First Digital Census in 2026–27; Caste Data, Women’s Quota, Delimitation on Agenda
Why This Census Is Different
Unlike past exercises, this census is more than a headcount. It’s a socio-political pivot point.
✔️ First Digital Census: Citizens will have the option to self-enumerate through a secure web portal or mobile app. ✔️ First Caste Enumeration in Independent India: While caste details were last officially collected in 1931, the 2027 Census will restore this data stream under formal methodology. ✔️ Link to Women’s Reservation Bill: The rollout of the 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies — passed but pending — is constitutionally tied to the completion of this census and subsequent delimitation.
Political Impact: Delimitation Back on the Table
Delimitation — the redrawing of constituency boundaries based on population — has remained frozen since 1971 through constitutional amendments. However, this census could change that.
The 84th Constitutional Amendment (2001) allowed boundary rationalization within states but barred any changes to Lok Sabha and assembly seat allocations until the first census post-2026.
This makes the 2026–27 census the official trigger point for a full-scale delimitation exercise. Politically, this could shift the balance of power toward rapidly growing states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, whose populations have ballooned in the past five decades.
Expert Reactions & Public Concerns
While some hail the census as a long-overdue modernization effort, others raise flags:
🗣️ Sociologists warn that digital self-enumeration could widen data disparities if internet access and digital literacy are not adequately addressed in rural and marginalized populations.
🗣️ Political analysts say the inclusion of caste data could redefine party agendas and welfare schemes, especially in states like Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Maharashtra where caste dynamics are central.
🗣️ Civil society groups have demanded full transparency in the methodology, data access, and post-enumeration data use, particularly around delimitation impacts and caste-based reservations.
What Comes Next?
In the months ahead, the government is expected to launch:
A pilot digital enumeration portal
A nationwide awareness campaign
Training for enumerators and local digital support volunteers
A framework for data protection and identity masking
The census will also influence education policy, welfare distribution, rural development, and urban planning for the next decade.
