New Delhi, Dec 12 (NationPress) The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the Census of India 2027, with an estimated expenditure of Rs 11,718.24 crore. This historic initiative marks India’s first fully digital census and stands as one of the largest administrative undertakings globally.

The census will unfold in two distinct phases: the Houselisting and Housing Census from April to September 2026, followed by the Population Enumeration scheduled for February 2027.

In regions like Ladakh and the snow-affected areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the Population Enumeration will occur earlier, in September 2026, to account for adverse weather conditions.

Largest digital enumeration exercise

Approximately 30 lakh field personnel, including enumerators, supervisors, master trainers, and census officers, will be engaged in this operation. For the first time, data collection will be facilitated through mobile applications available on both Android and iOS.

A specialized Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS) portal has been designed for real-time monitoring of field activities, while a new Houselisting Block (HLB) Creator web-mapping tool will aid charge officers in digitally outlining enumeration regions.

Caste enumeration to be included

In a pivotal decision, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs approved the inclusion of caste enumeration during the census. This data will be electronically collected during the Population Enumeration phase, signifying a significant enhancement in demographic data gathering.

Option for self-enumeration

For the first time, citizens will have the opportunity for self-enumeration via a secure online platform. The government has promised that the digital process will feature strong security measures to safeguard personal information.

Employment and capacity building

The Census 2027 initiative is anticipated to generate around 1.02 crore man-days of employment, enlisting approximately 18,600 technical personnel over a span of nearly 550 days across various local administrative units. This effort is also set to improve digital and data management skills among participants, enhancing their future job prospects.

Faster and better data delivery

The government aims to expedite the release of census data compared to previous cycles, bolstered by enhanced digital infrastructure. A new “Census-as-a-Service (CaaS)” platform will offer clean, machine-readable datasets to ministries and agencies, while advanced visualization tools will make results more accessible to the public down to the village and ward levels.

Census 2027 will mark the 16th national census and the 8th since Independence. Conducted under the Census Act, 1948, and Census Rules, 1990, this decennial exercise remains India’s most thorough source of primary demographic, social, and economic data.