The Government of India has announced the 16th nationwide census, scheduled for 2027, which for the first time since Independence will include caste enumeration. This major decision was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a significant policy shift after nearly a century since the last comprehensive caste count done by the British in 1931. The census will be conducted with reference dates of October 1, 2026, for snow-bound regions like Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and parts of Jammu & Kashmir, and March 1, 2027, for the rest of the country. The massive operation, expected to cost over ₹13,000 crore, will involve around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, using digital devices for data collection, along with provisions for self-enumeration by citizens.

Preparations for the census will include rigorous training of over 100 national trainers, 1,800 master trainers, and 45,000 field trainers who will guide enumerators and supervisors across India. The exercise will be carried out in two phases: the house-listing operation, where data on housing conditions, assets, and amenities will be gathered; followed by the population enumeration phase, covering demographic, socio-economic, and cultural details, including caste identity. The government emphasized that stringent data security measures will be enforced throughout data collection, transmission, and storage to protect citizens’ information. The inclusion of caste data aims to provide a clearer picture of India’s social composition, which, according to officials, will help strengthen the nation’s social fabric by addressing inequalities more effectively.

This historic move comes after years of debate on the need for caste data in policymaking. Although the UPA government’s Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011 attempted to collect such data, its findings were neither fully published nor widely used. Several states, including Bihar and Telangana, have conducted their own caste surveys in recent years, but the central government noted that these varied in transparency and intent. With the upcoming census, authorities aim to avoid politicization and ensure accurate, comprehensive data collection. The exercise had originally been planned for 2021 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government is now focused on completing this long-delayed task, which will shape future policy decisions across sectors.