India begins 1st caste-inclusive census pretest across 16 states UTs
India's Census rehearsal just kicked off in 16 states and union territories, and for the first time, people are being asked to record their caste.
This pretest is all about figuring out how to collect caste data smoothly before the big Population Census in 2027.
The feedback from this run will help shape how things work when it's time for the real deal.
Over 4.6 million different caste entries
From July 1-5, some folks could fill out their information online, while on-the-ground teams are testing things in places like Faridabad.
One big challenge: earlier methods led to over 4.6 million different caste entries because everyone wrote things a little differently!
This time, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs) will use standard codes, but others can self-report.
The final questions get locked in by September, with full-scale counting set for early 2027.