Census of India 2027 has officially moved a step forward with the issuance of the Phase I notification for the Houselisting & Housing Census (HLO). This crucial phase of the national census exercise will be conducted across all States and Union Territories of India.

As per the notification, Census of India 2027 Houselisting operations will take place between 1 April 2026 and 30 September 2026. Each State and Union Territory will carry out the exercise during a 30-day period as per their notified schedule.
To make the process easier for citizens, Census of India 2027 will also offer a self-enumeration facility. This option will be available for 15 days prior to the start of the house-to-house houselisting process, based on the timeline announced by individual States and UTs.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet has approved the scheme for the Conduct of Census of India 2027 with a total budget allocation of ₹11,718.24 crore, underlining the importance of this massive national exercise.

2nd Phases of Census of India 2027

The Census of India 2027 will be conducted in two distinct phases:
Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO): April to September 2026
Population Enumeration (PE): February 2027

For the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, Population Enumeration will be conducted in September 2026.

Caste Enumeration Included

A major update in Census of India 2027 is the inclusion of caste enumeration. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, in its meeting held on 30 April 2025, officially decided to include caste data collection in the upcoming census.
This decision is expected to play a significant role in policy planning, welfare schemes, and social justice initiatives across the country.