The 2027 headcount will be India’s first fully paperless Census, powered by real-time data, geo-tagging, and 3.2 million digitally equipped field workers
India’s long-delayed Census is going entirely digital. The Census 2027, approved by the Union Cabinet at a budget of ₹11,718 crore, will be anchored by the Census Management and Monitoring System ,a centralised digital portal designed to manage, monitor, and validate one of the world’s largest demographic exercises in near real time.
Over 3.2 million field enumerators will collect household data on handheld devices, replacing the traditional pen-and-paper method. Geo-tagging tools will map and demarcate enumeration blocks with precision, strengthening data integrity and creating a spatial archive useful for urban planning and disaster management.
The exercise rolls out in two phases: house-listing from April 2026, followed by population enumeration in February 2027. For the first time, citizens will also have the option of self-enumeration. Notably, caste data will be recorded for the first time since Independence.
Originally due in 2021, the Census was deferred due to COVID-19.
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