Centre notifies population census, to be conducted in two phases

The Ministry of Home Affairs, on Monday, issued an official notification for population census in the country. The exercise that to collect humongous data, including the caste details, will be conducted in two phases, it said.

The first phase, to cover the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and two hilly states – Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand – will begin on October 1, 2026.

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The rest of the country will be covered during the second phase that will start on March 1, 2027.

“A census of the population shall be undertaken during the year 2027. The reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of March 1, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” the notification issued under Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948), read.

“In respect of the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of October 1, 2026,” it added.

Notably, this is the first time that caste enumeration will be undertaken as part of the mammoth census exercise.

The Central government, in a recent cabinet meeting, had given clearance for caste enumeration in the Census, saying it would enable it to frame policies with better precision.

The green light for caste-based Census also stirred political slugfest with the Congress claiming that the Modi government was forced to include its idea of social justice and social empowerment. The BJP mocked the Opposition, saying they only claimed to be champions of the backward classes but it was the NDA government which was effecting a decisive change at the ground level.

The last Census of India was conducted in 2011 in two phases – Phase I and Phase II. Phase I had House Listing from 1 April to 30 September 2010. Phase II had a Population Enumeration (PE) exercise from 9 February to 28 February 2011.

The population census that was to be conducted in 2021 had to be postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic across the country.