New Delhi, India — January 23, 2026
The Government of India has officially issued the notification for Census 2027, outlining the 33 key questions that citizens will need to answer during the first phase of the nationwide exercise. The notification, released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, marks the beginning of preparations for India’s first fully digital census.
According to the notification, the first phase of Census 2027, known as House Listing and Housing Census, will be conducted between April 1 and September 30, with each state and Union Territory carrying out the exercise within a 30-day window.
🏠 What the First Phase Will Cover
During the first phase, census officials will prepare a comprehensive list of all buildings and households across the country. Every structure—occupied, vacant, or locked—will be geo-tagged, ensuring accurate mapping and monitoring.
The government has also developed a Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS), which will allow real-time supervision of census activities nationwide.
📝 Complete List of 33 Census Questions
Citizens will be asked to provide information related to housing, family composition, and basic amenities. The questions include:
Building number (municipal/local body/census number)
Census house number
Main material of floor
Main material of walls
Main material of roof
Usage of census house
Condition of census house
Household number
Total persons usually residing
Name of head of household
Gender of head of household
Whether head belongs to SC/ST/other
Ownership status of house
Number of rooms exclusively used by household
Number of married couples in household
Main source of drinking water
Availability of drinking water source
Main source of lighting
Availability of toilet
Type of toilet
Wastewater outlet system
Bathing facility
Kitchen and LPG/PNG connection
Main fuel used for cooking
Radio/transistor
Television
Internet availability
Laptop/computer
Telephone/mobile/smartphone
Bicycle/scooter/motorcycle/moped
Car/jeep/van
Main cereal consumed by household
Mobile number (for census communication only)
🗺️ Uttar Pradesh Census Timeline
In Uttar Pradesh, preparations for the first phase are already underway. The house listing exercise is expected to be conducted between May and June 2026, entirely through digital platforms. Around 600,000 personnel will be deployed, supported by specialized training and inter-departmental coordination.
To ensure smooth execution, the government has clarified that no administrative boundary changes will be allowed between January 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027.
📱 India’s First Digital Census
Census 2027 will be India’s first fully digital census, involving nearly 3 million enumerators nationwide. Data will be collected through a mobile application available on both Android and iOS platforms to ensure speed, accuracy, and data quality.
The exercise is expected to generate approximately 10.2 million human-days of employment, making it one of the largest digital governance operations ever undertaken in the country.
🧮 Caste-Based Enumeration Included
For the first time, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has approved the inclusion of caste-based data in the census through a fully digital process. The government believes this will provide more accurate and comprehensive data for targeted social welfare schemes and evidence-based policymaking in a diverse country like India.
🚪 Door-to-Door Digital Survey & Self-Enumeration
Enumerators—primarily government school teachers—will conduct door-to-door digital surveys using tablets or mobile devices. Data related to education, language, religion, occupation, disability, migration, and other demographic indicators will be securely recorded.
Additionally, citizens will be given the option of self-enumeration through a mobile app or web portal. Those without internet access will continue to receive in-person assistance from census workers. The government has emphasized that advanced security features have been built into the system to prevent data leaks or misuse.
⏳ When Was the Last Census?
India’s last census was conducted in 2011. The scheduled 2021 Census was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Census 2027 will now be conducted under the legal framework of the Census Act, 1948, and Census Rules, 1990, continuing India’s long tradition of reliable and comprehensive demographic data collection.
