Cabinet Approves Scheme for Conduct of Census of India 2027
Posted On: 12 DEC 2025 4:13PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for conducting Census of India 2027 at a cost of Rs. 11,718.24 crore. This will be India’s first completely digital census and the 16th national census since the exercise began.
Details of the Scheme
The Indian Census is the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world. The Census of India 2027 will be conducted in two phases:
This phase will cover all households across India for housing census data collection.
Main population count across India (For Ladakh and snow-bound areas of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, PE shall be conducted in September 2026).
Key Features of Census 2027
Digital Transformation: First Census by digital means in India. Data will be collected using mobile applications available for both Android and iOS versions.
Major Innovations:
- Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS): Dedicated portal for real-time monitoring
- HLB Creator Web Map Application: For geographical planning by Charge Officers
- Self-Enumeration Option: Public will have option to self-enumerate
- Caste Data Collection: Electronic capture of caste data during Population Enumeration
- Enhanced Security: Robust security features for data protection
- Nationwide Awareness Campaign: For inclusive participation and last-mile engagement
- Census-as-a-Service (CaaS): Will deliver data to ministries in clean, machine-readable format
Implementation Strategy
The Census process involves visiting each and every household and canvassing separate questionnaire for Houselisting & Housing Census and Population Enumeration. About 30 lakh field functionaries including Enumerators, Supervisors, Master Trainers, Charge Officers and Principal/District Census Officers will complete this gigantic exercise of national importance.
The enumerators, generally government teachers and appointed by the State Governments, will be doing the field work of Census in addition to their regular duties. All Census functionaries will be paid suitable honorarium for their work.
Employment Generation Potential
To complete various tasks for successful conduct of Census 2027, approximately 18,600 technical manpower will be engaged for about 550 days at the local levels. This translates to around 1.02 crore man-days employment generation.
The provision of technical manpower at Charge/District/State level will also result in capacity building as the nature of job will be related to digital data handling, monitoring and coordination. This will also help in future employment prospects of these persons.
Benefits and Impact
Census of India 2027 will cover the entire population in the country. The current endeavor would be to make available the coming Census data at the shortest possible time across the country.
Data dissemination will be much better and in a user friendly way so that all the queries on required parameters for policy making will be made available on the click of a button. Efforts will also be made to disseminate Census Results with more customized visualization tools.
Data sharing will be available to all, up to the lowest Administrative Unit i.e. Village/Ward level.
Background Information
Census 2027 will be 16th Census in the country and 8th after independence. Census is the biggest source of primary data at village, town and ward level providing micro level data on various parameters including:
Housing Condition; Amenities & Assets, Demography, Religion, SC & ST, Language, Literacy & Education, Economic Activity, Migration and Fertility.
The Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990 provide the legal framework for conduct of Census.
Official Sources
- Press Information Bureau, Government of India – Official Release
- Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
- Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India
- The Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990
Disclaimer
This post is based on official information released by Press Information Bureau, Government of India. While we strive for accuracy, studentexamportal.com is not responsible for any errors or omissions. Readers are advised to verify information from official government sources. All data and statistics mentioned are as per the official release dated 12 DEC 2025.