Budget 2026: ₹6,000cr set aside for Census 2027
India
The government just set aside ₹6,000 crore in the 2026 budget for Census 2027—almost six times the funding in the Revised Estimates for 2025-26 (₹1,040 crore).
This will power India's first-ever fully digital census, aiming to make data collection faster and more accurate.
Census 2027 will have nationwide caste count
Census 2027 is rolling out in two phases: house listing (April-September 2026) and population count (Feb 2027).
For the first time, there'll be a nationwide caste count beyond just SC/ST categories.
With features like self-enumeration portals and a paper option for enumerators/remote areas, this census will shape everything from welfare schemes to city planning—and even future elections.