Preparatory work for Census 2027 begins with two-day conference

The preparations for Census 2027 kicked off on Thursday (July 3, 2025) with the inauguration of a two-day conference of Directors of Census Operations (DCO) from across the country.

At the conference, the DCOs were informed about the processes that would have to be followed for the forthcoming Census, the first phase of House Listing Operations and Housing Schedule (HLO) expected to begin April 1, 2026.

Before the first phase begins, a pre-test exercise will be held where tentative questions will be asked by enumerators. The notification for pre-test is likely to be issued in August, a senior government official said.

A pre-test was carried out in 2019 across 76 districts in 36 States and Union Territories, covering a population of over 26 lakh. For Census 2021, which will now be known as Census 2027, as many as 31 questions were notified for the first phase.

A senior government official said that a portal will be launched soon to get real-time information on field work. The DCOs and other senior Census officials will be able to monitor various verticals such as the finalisation of administrative units, preparation of code directories, schedule of training of enumerators, questionnaires for pre-test exercise among others.

This will be the first digital Census and also the first to enumerate caste in independent India. Caste will be counted in the second and the main phase of the Census, which will be conducted in February 2027.

The Census India 2027 posted on X on Thursday: “As a part of #Census2027 preparations, two-day conference of Directors of Census Operations of States and UTs began in Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi today”. The inaugural session was addressed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan.

On June 27, Mr. Narayan had written to Chief Secretaries of all States that the preparations for Census 2027 was underway and any changes to boundaries of administrative units should be effected by December 31, 2025 as the first phase or the HLO begins April 1, 2026. It asked the States to submit the details of changes made to the boundaries till that date.

According to the Constitutional mandate, the first Census after 2026 can be used as the basis to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies. The next General Election is expected to be held in 2029.

On June 16, the RGI notified the process in the Gazette of India.

Around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, mainly drawn from officials working with the State governments and 1.3 lakh Census functionaries are expected to be deployed for the exercise.