Census to be held in two phases over three years, beginning Oct 1, 2026

The Centre on Wednesday announced that the census exercise will be held in two phases beginning October 1, 2026. The first phase will be held in hilly and snow-hit areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and other areas. The second phase covering other parts of the country will be held from March 1, 2027. It is expected to held in a time span of three years, government sources said.

More than a month after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) approved caste enumeration in the forthcoming population census, the Centre said census exercise with caste enumeration will finally begin from March 1, 2027. The exercise will take place in two phases in states/UTs including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.