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The story so far: The rehearsal or the “pre-test” of the second phase of Census, which started in 16 States and Union Territories on July 6, 2026, has an “open column” for respondents to record their castes, several officials involved in the exercise told The Hindu. The pre-test is on till July 20, 2026 and the outcome will decide how independent India enumerates caste for the first time as part of the Census exercise. Other than Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), caste-wise population has not been enumerated in Independent India, the last time such data was collected was in 1931.
What is the background of caste Census?
After repeatedly opposing caste enumeration, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) finally announced on April 30, 2025 that caste will be counted during Population Census 2027. Before this, the Opposition parties particularly Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had consistently demanded that caste of all people should be counted in India.
The demand was also made by a few alliance partners of the BJP. Unlike the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), which was done outside the purview of the Census, this time caste will be enumerated with the second and final phase of Census, giving it a statutory backing. The SECC threw up 46 lakh caste names.
What’s new about Census 2027? | The Hindu Explains
What does the ongoing pre-test indicate?
Though the ongoing rehearsal gives an indication of how caste is likely to be enumerated in the coming days, Census officials said the final methodology will be prepared based on the feedback received during the exercise, which concludes July 20. The ongoing pre-test exercise also allowed self-enumeration and the portal was accessible from July 1-5 only in the specific area where the rehearsal is being done.
The discourse on the methodology of caste enumeration has largely swung between either leaving an open column for caste, just as the 2011 SECC did, or preparing a list of castes for people to pick from — as the Bihar government did in its 2022-23 caste-based survey. The results of the 2011 SECC were neither released by the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government nor by the BJP government after the latter came to power in 2014.
Interestingly, the open-column methodology had resulted in the 2011 SECC returning over 46 lakh different “caste names”, largely owing to the difference in what people understand by caste. The total number of castes during the 1931 Census conducted by the British was 4,147. In 2021, the Union government informed the Supreme Court in an affidavit, “Assuming that some castes may bifurcate into sub-castes, the total number cannot be exponentially high to this extent,” adding that the data cannot be relied on for reservation in education, employment or elections to local authorities.
What were the anomalies reported during 2011 SECC and how does it mirror the ongoing pre-test exercise?
Officials said the SECC threw up lakhs of caste names as it was kept open ended. Respondents were asked to name their castes. For example, people wrote Gupta, Agarwal etc for Baniya caste, which increased the numbers exponentially. Though the method is not final, the pre-test is also providing the same open-ended column to respondents to record their castes.
According to the latest government data, there are about 2,650 Other Backwards Classes (OBC) in the Central list, 1,170 in the Scheduled Caste category and 890 communities in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. The State governments maintain their own OBCs list.
What are the concerns regarding the methodology of caste enumeration ?
The Opposition parties have demanded wider consultation with all stakeholders before caste Census is undertaken. On December 2, 2025, Mr. Gandhi asked in the Lok Sabha if the government has any proposal to publish the draft Census questions and seek inputs from the general public or people’s representatives and whether it will consider best practices such as caste surveys done in other States.
Responding to this, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the “the draft Census questionnaires are pre-tested in the field to assess their feasibility before finalisation of the same. Census has a history of more than 150 years. Learnings from previous Census are taken into consideration for conducting next Census. Before each Census, the inputs are also taken from concerned stakeholders.” Throughout 2025, the government repeatedly stated that the final caste questionnaire had not been settled. Parliament was informed in February 2026 that questions relating to caste would be notified before the commencement of the second phase of Census operations. The Ministry of Home Affairs said representations had been received from various organisations and State governments regarding caste enumeration, and that the final questionnaire would be prepared according to established procedures.
Why was the Census exercise delayed?
The Population Census exercise is done in two phases — the Housing and House Listing Operations (HLO) and Population Enumeration, spanning over 11 months. The last Census was completed in 2011. The next exercise — Population Census 2021 was initially delayed owing to the COVID pandemic that surfaced in India around March 2020, coinciding with the first phase enumeration or the HLO phase that was to begin from April 1, 2020. While the restrictions related to the pandemic were over by 2022, government did not specify the reasons to delay the exercise till now. On June 4, 2025, the government announced that the population Census along with the enumeration of castes will be conducted in two phases by February 28, 2027. The reference date of the people’s headcount will be 12 a.m., March 1, 2027.
At present, the first phase of Census — the HLO phase is yet to be completed in eight States — Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, West Bengal, Assam and Manipur. The first phase that has been completed in 28 States/UTs has to conclude by September 30 across the country.
The Population Enumeration (PE) phase or the second phase where caste will be enumerated will be conducted in February 2027 across the country but in Ladakh and snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, it will be concluded by September 30. The final questionnaire will hence be known by September.
The PE phase in Census 2011 asked 29 questions on demographic, marital status, cultural, literacy, economic, migration, travel to place of work and fertility parameters. Census counts every individual. Census is mandatory and not complying with the Census Act, 1948 is punishable by ₹1,000 and six-month imprisonment.
Around 24 lakh enumeration blocks (EB) have been identified for the 2027 Census. Each EB usually comprises 150-180 houses or 650-800 people.
Around 30 lakh government officials, mostly school teachers, have been assigned as enumerators. The 2027 Census will be the first to be conducted digitally, the first to enumerate caste as part of the Population Census, and the first to offer respondents the option of self-enumeration.
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