Staff Reporter
The Government of India today announced that it will conduct the population census, beginning from March 1, 2027. Caste census, a long-standing demand of the Opposition, will also be a part of the process, the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
However, for the Union Territory of Ladakh and other snow-bound areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the census will begin from October 1, 2026, the ministry added.
In a statement, Union Home Ministry said the reference date for Ladakh and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be first of October, 2026. The notification for the intent of conducting Population Census with these reference dates is likely to be published in the official gazette on 16th of this month. The last census was conducted in 2011 in two phases. These were Phase I – House Listing and Phase II – Population Enumeration.
Our correspondent reports that census 2021 was also proposed to be conducted in two phases in a similar manner with phase I during April-September 2020 and second phase in February 2021. All the preparations for the first phase of the Census to be conducted in 2021 were completed. However, the census work was postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic across the country.