New Delhi, April 25: India’s upcoming Census 2027 will include Urdu among 16 languages available for self-enumeration, as the country prepares for its first fully digital population census, the government said on Friday.
According to the Press Information Bureau, the census—conducted under the Ministry of Home Affairs—will mark a major shift in data collection, leveraging mobile-based applications, online self-enumeration, and real-time monitoring systems to improve efficiency and accuracy.
The exercise, scheduled in two phases, will be the 16th census in India and the first to adopt a fully digital approach. Phase I, covering houselisting and housing census, will be conducted between April and September 2026, while Phase II, the population enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027. For snow-bound areas, including parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the second phase will take place earlier in September 2026.
A key feature of Census 2027 will be the inclusion of caste enumeration, following a decision by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs in April 2025. Officials said this would provide more comprehensive socio-economic data for policy planning.
The government has allocated ₹11,718.24 crore for the exercise, which will involve a workforce of around 31 lakh enumerators and supervisors, supported by over one lakh census functionaries. Extensive training and preparatory work, including pre-tests and administrative readiness measures, have already been undertaken.
The digital census will be supported by the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS), a portal designed for near real-time tracking of data collection and field operations. Enumerators will use secure mobile applications for data entry, while a self-enumeration portal will allow citizens to submit household information online during a 15-day window prior to field visits.
Officials said the self-enumeration facility will be available in 16 languages, including Urdu, Hindi, English, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and others, enabling wider participation and accessibility.
To ensure accuracy and coverage, a web-based mapping tool will be used to create digital houselisting blocks using satellite imagery. The government said this would minimise duplication and ensure complete geographic coverage.
The reference date for Census 2027 has been fixed as March 1, 2027, while for certain northern and hill regions it will be October 1, 2026.
Authorities emphasised that data security and confidentiality remain central to the exercise. Information collected will be protected under the Census Act, 1948, which ensures that personal data cannot be disclosed, used in court proceedings, or accessed under the RTI Act. The data infrastructure has been designated as Critical Information Infrastructure and complies with global security standards.
Officials said the digital approach is expected to significantly reduce processing time and enable faster release of census data, along with improved visualisation tools for policymakers and researchers.
The census, conducted every 10 years, is considered the backbone of governance planning in India, providing critical data for sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, and welfare. The upcoming digital census is expected to further strengthen evidence-based policymaking and support more targeted and inclusive development strategies.
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