India’s 2027 Census: First Digital Count with Self-Enumeration
Why in the news
The Union Home Ministry confirmed 2027 as the Census year, with mobile-app data collection and an option for citizens to enumerate themselves.
Key facts
- Two phases: house listing, then population enumeration.
- Boundary freeze: States cannot alter districts, tehsils, police stations or blocks until the Census ends, since enumeration blocks depend on these areas.
- Digital method: mobile applications and self-enumeration.
- The Ministry promised strict data security during collection, transmission and storage.
Legal framework
| Basis | Provision |
|---|---|
| Seventh Schedule | Census is Entry 69 of the Union List |
| Article 246 | Parliament has exclusive power over Union List subjects, so the Centre runs the Census |
| Census Act, 1948 | Provides for a Census Commissioner and the process of collection, tabulation and publication |
Exam angle
- Entry 69, Union List; Section 3, Census Act, 1948.
- Census 2027: first digital edition.