The Ministry of Home Affairs has officially announced that the next Population Census will be conducted in 2027. This was confirmed through a notification released on Monday, June 16. The census will be done in two phases, and specific reference dates have been declared for different regions.
Census Reference Dates:
- For most states and union territories, the reference date for the Census is March 1, 2027.
- For Ladakh, and snow-covered areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date is October 1, 2026.
This means that the population count will be based on where people are living and what conditions are like as of these specific dates, depending on the region.
Read more: 1.4 Billion People, 1 Question: How the 2027 Census Could Change India Forever!
What the Official Notification Said:
The notification mentioned that the census will follow the Census Act of 1948 and the Census Rules of 1990. It also supersedes an earlier notification from March 2019, but anything already done under that earlier plan will remain valid.
Background on Previous Censuses:
- The last completed Census was in 2011, conducted in two parts:
- House Listing (April to September 2010)
- Population Enumeration (February 2011)
- The 2021 Census was scheduled in a similar two-phase format:
- Phase 1 (April to September 2020)
- Phase 2 (February 2021)
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census 2021 was postponed, even though all preparations were completed and fieldwork was about to begin.
India’s next population count will happen in 2027, with different dates for certain regions due to weather conditions. This Census is vital for planning, development, and distribution of government resources.
Stay tuned for more updates as we move closer to this nationwide exercise!
