India Plans First Digital Census in 2027, Citizens to Self-Register Caste Data Online

New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu): India’s long-awaited census is set to take a historic leap, with the government announcing the first-ever digital and caste-inclusive population count in 2027. Preparations for this massive exercise are already underway, and officials revealed that the upcoming census will happen in two phases, covering the entire country and for the first time collecting caste details of all household members.

In a groundbreaking move, citizens will be able to fill in their census details themselves through a special web portal, which will be active during both phases of the census. Officials explained that people can self-enumerate from their own smartphones or computers, using an official mobile application compatible with Android and iOS devices. This is the first time Indians will have the option to participate directly in the census process from their homes.

According to officials, the digital initiative will modernize the entire operation. Enumerators will collect data electronically, and it will be sent securely to central servers, speeding up processing and ensuring faster results. Strict data security measures will be in place to protect citizens’ personal information during collection, transmission, and storage.

The first phase of the census — the Housing Listing Operation (HLO) — will begin on April 1, 2026. The second phase — the Population Enumeration (PE) — will start on February 1, 2027. The census reference date will be March 1, 2027, for most of India, and October 1, 2026, for the Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Officials are confident that digital tools will make the 2027 census faster, more accurate, and more transparent, bringing India’s data collection efforts into the modern era.