Union Cabinet Approves Census of India 2027 at ₹11,718.24 Crore Cost

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to conduct the Census of India 2027 at an estimated cost of ₹11,718.24 crore. The exercise will be the largest administrative and statistical operation undertaken in the country and is aimed at generating updated, high-quality demographic and socio-economic data to support evidence-based policymaking at all levels of governance.

Phased Census Timeline and Coverage

Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases. The Houselisting and Housing Census will take place from April to September 2026, followed by Population Enumeration in February 2027. In snow-bound and non-synchronous areas such as Ladakh, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, population enumeration will be carried out earlier in September 2026. The census will cover the entire population of the country, visiting every household and collecting detailed information through structured questionnaires.

Digital-First Census and New Initiatives

For the first time, the Indian Census will be conducted primarily through digital means. Data will be collected using mobile applications compatible with Android and iOS platforms. A dedicated Census Management and Monitoring System portal will enable real-time supervision of operations. Innovations include a Houselisting Block Creator web map application for field planning and an option for citizens to self-enumerate. Strong data security features have been built in to protect this large-scale digital operation.

Caste Enumeration and Workforce Deployment

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in Census 2027. Caste data will be collected electronically during the Population Enumeration phase. Around 30 lakh field functionaries, including enumerators, supervisors, trainers and census officers, will be deployed nationwide. These personnel, largely drawn from existing government staff such as teachers, will receive suitable honorariums for undertaking census duties alongside their regular work.

Exam Oriented Facts

• Census 2027 will be India’s 16th census and the 8th after Independence.
• The Census Act, 1948 provides the legal basis for conducting the census.
• This will be India’s first fully digital census.
• Caste data will be collected during the Population Enumeration phase.

Data Use, Employment and National Impact

Census 2027 aims to ensure faster data dissemination through user-friendly dashboards and customised visualisation tools, with data shared down to village and ward levels. The Census-as-a-Service model will provide ministries with clean, machine-readable datasets. Around 18,600 technical personnel will be engaged for nearly 550 days, generating an estimated 1.02 crore man-days of employment, while also building long-term digital and administrative capacity across states and districts.