Census 2027 to begin on January 25 across most of India; self-enumeration from January 10

The population enumeration phase of Census 2027 will be conducted across most parts of India from January 25 to February 28 next year, with an optional online self-enumeration facility available from January 10 to 24, the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner announced on Friday.

According to an official notification issued by Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, the reference date for the exercise has been fixed at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027.

The schedule will apply to all states and Union Territories except Manipur, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The notification said the timetable for Manipur would be announced separately, while the other excluded regions would follow different enumeration schedules.

𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟬

The government has provided an optional self-enumeration window from January 10 to January 24, 2027, immediately before the commencement of house-to-house population enumeration.

The facility will allow residents to submit their Census information themselves before enumerators visit households. Participation in self-enumeration will be voluntary, with the regular door-to-door exercise covering households that do not use the option.

The provision forms part of the government's efforts to introduce digital methods into the population enumeration process and make data collection more convenient.

𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿-𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟴

Under the announced schedule, enumerators will conduct the population count from January 25 to February 28, 2027, across the states and Union Territories covered by the notification.

A revisional round will follow from March 1 to March 5, 2027. The additional period is intended to allow updates to the information collected during the main enumeration exercise.

The reference date of March 1 will serve as the common point for determining the population figures recorded under the exercise.

The notification establishes a uniform timetable for most of the country while providing for separate arrangements in regions facing electoral or geographical constraints.

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand have been excluded from the January 25-February 28 schedule, along with Ladakh and specified snow-bound areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Manipur has also been excluded pending a further declaration by the Census authorities. The exclusions mean that the dates announced on Friday should not be treated as a single nationwide timetable covering every state and Union Territory.

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀

Census 2027 will provide updated population figures and demographic information for the country, replacing the data collected during the previous Census in 2011.

The population enumeration phase will record information about individuals and households, providing a statistical basis for planning public services, infrastructure and development programmes.

The announcement of the January-February timetable marks an important step in preparations for the long-delayed exercise, with the government specifying the dates for self-enumeration, field enumeration and subsequent revisions. For residents in the regions covered by Friday's notification, the first opportunity to participate will begin on January 10, 2027, when the optional self-enumeration window opens.