Caste Census 2027: Full list of questions to be asked in the second phase of Census
India's 2027 Population Census will be the first to include a comprehensive caste enumeration across all communities. The process is divided into two phases, with the second phase, Population Enumeration, scheduled for February 2027.
Why it matters
The inclusion of caste data in the census is a highly significant and debated policy shift that will influence future social and political discourse in India.
The Population Census 2027 i s the first digital Census and the first in independent India to enumerate caste across all communities. Until now, only Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have been enumerated during Census exercises.
In April 2025, the Cabinet Committee approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the upcoming Census, which will be the 16th Census of India and the eighth since Independence.
The Population Census is conducted in two phases: Housing Listing Operations (HLO) and Population Enumeration (PE). The HLO phase is scheduled to conclude on September 30, 2026. Barring a few States, including West Bengal, Assam and Manipur, the exercise has largely been completed across the country.
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