The Indian government has announced that the next population census will begin on April 1, 2026. For the first time in over 90 years, this census will count people by their caste. The official date to count the population, called the reference date, will be March 1, 2027.
In some colder and mountainous areas like Ladakh, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the census will start earlier, from October 2026. For these places, the reference date will be October 1, 2026. The government will officially confirm these dates in a notification expected on June 16, 2025.
The decision to include caste information was confirmed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after a government meeting on April 30. He said this is to make the census data clear and consistent. Some states have done caste surveys well, but others haven’t, causing confusion and social tension.
India last did a census in 2011. The planned 2021 census was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time a full caste count was done was nearly 100 years ago, during British rule. Although caste data was collected in 2011 during the Socio-Economic and Caste Census, it was never fully released or used.
Experts say that including caste data is important to understand social inequalities better and make fair policies for everyone.
