What Happened
- Door-to-door visits by Census enumerators began from April 16, 2026 in eight states and Union Territories for the first phase of Population Census 2027 — the House Listing and Housing Operations.
- The eight states/UTs covered include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Sikkim, Odisha, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, and areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board.
- Enumerators will seek responses to a set of 33 questions covering basic amenities in houses, ownership status, head of household details, and housing conditions.
- Physical door-to-door operations will continue from April 16 to May 15, 2026; the overall first phase (House Listing) runs from April 1 to September 30, 2026.
- A self-enumeration option was launched on April 1, 2026, with more than 5.72 lakh households already having availed this digital facility.
- Census 2027 will be the first to include caste enumeration since 1931 and the first fully digital census in India's history.
Static Topic Bridges
Census of India — Constitutional and Legal Framework
The Census of India derives its constitutional mandate from Article 246 read with Entry 69 of the Union List in the Seventh Schedule, which places census firmly under exclusive central government jurisdiction. The Census Act, 1948 provides the operational legal framework, making it mandatory for all persons to furnish information and prohibiting disclosure of individual data. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is the nodal authority for conducting census operations across the country. Census is conducted every ten years; the 2021 Census was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making Census 2027 the 16th Census of India.
- Constitutional basis: Article 246 + Seventh Schedule, Union List Entry 69
- Governing law: The Census Act, 1948
- Nodal authority: Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (under Ministry of Home Affairs)
- Census 2027 is the 16th Census; the 15th Census (2021) was delayed due to COVID-19
- First digital census; first to include caste data since 1931
Connection to this news: The commencement of door-to-door House Listing operations in eight states from April 16 marks the first time physical enumeration is underway for Census 2027 under this constitutional and legal mandate.
Two-Phase Structure of the Census
The Census of India is traditionally conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase — the Houselisting and Housing Census — documents the condition and amenities of residential and non-residential buildings across the country. The second phase — Population Enumeration — captures data on individuals: age, sex, literacy, occupation, migration, religion, and other attributes. The Population Enumeration follows the Houselisting phase after a gap of six to eight months. The first phase is critical for creating the cartographic framework, updating the National Population Register (NPR), and establishing the list of buildings to be enumerated in Phase 2.
- Phase 1 (House Listing): April–September 2026; enumerators record 33 housing-related questions
- Phase 2 (Population Enumeration): scheduled for 2027 (exact dates to be notified)
- Self-enumeration portal introduced for the first time in 2026 for Phase 1
- NPR (National Population Register) will be updated alongside Phase 1
Connection to this news: The eight states and UTs where door-to-door visits began on April 16 are the first to transition from the self-enumeration window to physical field operations under Phase 1.
National Population Register (NPR) and Caste Enumeration
The National Population Register is a register of usual residents of India, being updated alongside the current Census phase. It records biometric and demographic data for residents who have lived in an area for at least six months. Census 2027 also carries historical significance as the first census since 1931 to enumerate caste data — the earlier Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 collected caste information but its data was never officially released for public use. The inclusion of OBC (Other Backward Classes) caste data in Census 2027 is expected to reshape reservation policy and welfare delivery.
- NPR update is being conducted simultaneously with House Listing Phase
- Caste enumeration last done in 1931 under colonial rule; SECC 2011 data was not publicly released
- Census 2027 caste data will inform OBC reservation limits (currently based on Mandal Commission's 1980 estimate of 52%)
- Data from Census feeds into delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies
Connection to this news: The commencement of field operations in these states is the first concrete step towards the landmark data collection exercise that will reshape Indian governance for the next decade.
Key Facts & Data
- Total questions in House Listing phase: 33
- Physical enumeration timeline for initial states/UTs: April 16 to May 15, 2026
- Overall Phase 1 window: April 1 – September 30, 2026
- Self-enumeration uptake so far: over 5.72 lakh households
- States/UTs in first batch: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Sikkim, Odisha, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment areas
- Total enumerators deployed nationwide: approximately 30 lakh (expected)
- Census 2027 will be India's 16th decennial census
- Census Act, 1948 — primary legislation; Article 246, Entry 69 — constitutional basis