India's 2027 census goes digital, brings caste count back
India just rolled out new rules for the 2027 Census, making it possible for people to fill in their details online for the first time ever.
States and Union Territories can now pick their own census officers too.
This is not just about going digital—it's also the first time since 1931 that caste data will be officially counted.
How it'll work and what's new
The census will happen in two parts: house-listing from April to September 2026, then population counting with a reference date of March 1, 2027 (or October 1, 2026 for snowy regions like Ladakh and J&K).
The government has set aside ₹11,718 crore to make this happen.
Caste and economic data will be shared publicly as aggregated statistics, but individual data will not be made public as per data protection law.
People will have the option of not disclosing caste.