Census 2027: India Announces Nationwide Census Dates

The Government of India has announced the schedule for the next nationwide population census, with the exercise set to take place from January 25 to February 28, 2027, according to news agency PTI. The census will cover the country, although snow-bound and poll-bound states will be exempted from the scheduled process, the agency reported.

The announcement marks an important step towards conducting India’s first population census since 2011. The exercise was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Census 2027: Key Details

• Scheduled period: January 25 to February 28, 2027.
• Coverage: Nationwide population census across India.
• Exemptions: Snow-bound and poll-bound states will be exempted from the scheduled process, according to PTI.
• Legal framework: The exercise will be conducted under the Census Act, 1948, and Census Rules, 1990.
• Previous census: India’s last population census was conducted in 2011 in two phases.

Why Was Census 2021 Postponed?

India’s population census is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990. The last completed Census of India took place in 2011 and was carried out in two phases.

The next census was proposed for 2021, also following a two-phase structure. The first phase, covering April to September 2020, was intended to be followed by the second phase in February 2021.

Preparations for the first phase had been completed, and fieldwork was scheduled to begin in some states and Union Territories from April 1, 2020.

However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country disrupted the planned schedule. As a result, the census exercise was postponed, preventing the government from conducting the population count in 2021 as originally planned.

India’s First Population Census Since 2011

The 2027 exercise will follow a gap of 16 years since the last completed population census in 2011. The postponement of the 2021 census meant that India went without a new nationwide population count during the intervening period.

Population census exercises provide the government with information about the country’s population and help build an official statistical picture of the nation. The data is important for understanding demographic changes and supporting planning and policy decisions.

With the government announcing the January 25 to February 28, 2027 schedule, preparations for the next census move forward after the delay caused by the pandemic. However, the reported exemption of snow-bound and poll-bound states means the scheduled period will not apply uniformly across all parts of the country.

What Happens Next?

The announced dates establish the proposed nationwide period for Census 2027. Further details about the arrangements for states and Union Territories exempted from the scheduled exercise have not been provided in the supplied announcement.

The census will be conducted under the existing legal framework established by the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990. Its completion will provide India with a new population count following the last exercise in 2011.