Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Census 2027 Population Count Advanced In Four Poll-Bound States
India is getting ready to count its population in Census 2027.
Four states and some parts of Uttarakhand will be counted from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027.
People there can enter their information online from November 16 to November 30.
Officials will conduct a checking round from January 5 to January 9.
January 5 will be the official reference date for those areas.
Snowy regions in several northern areas will be counted earlier, from September 1 to September 30.
Those regions will use October 1, 2026, as their reference date.
The schedule was changed because elections and the Census need many of the same government workers, and Manipur’s work has been postponed.
Population enumeration will run from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027, in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and non-snow-bound Uttarakhand.
Residents in those areas can use online self-enumeration from November 16 to November 30, 2026.
A revisional round is scheduled for January 5-9, 2027, with January 5 as the reference date for the covered areas.
Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be enumerated from September 1-30, 2026, using October 1 as their reference date.
The government cited election-related staffing pressures, while Manipur’s Census house-listing operations were deferred until further declaration.
- Who
- The Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan issued the schedule; government employees, primarily teachers, will conduct the exercise.
- What
- Census 2027 population enumeration, self-enumeration and revisional rounds will follow different regional schedules.
- When
- Self-enumeration in the four main areas is scheduled for November 16-30, 2026; population enumeration for December 1, 2026-January 4, 2027; and revision for January 5-9, 2027.
- Where
- The December schedule covers Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and non-snow-bound Uttarakhand; separate arrangements apply to snow-bound northern areas, while Manipur’s house-listing operations are deferred.
- Why
- The covered states are expected to hold Assembly elections before May 2027, and many government employees are needed for both elections and the Census.
Government Explanation
Congress Criticism
Reason for advancing the schedule
Government Explanation
The government said elections and the Census require many of the same government employees, primarily teachers, making it difficult to conduct both exercises simultaneously.
Congress Criticism
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said advancing the Census showed “shoddy planning” because the elections were already expected, and alleged that political calculations may be involved.
Manipur’s Census postponement
Government Explanation
The government deferred Manipur’s house-listing operations until further declaration; the decision was linked in one report to demands from Meitei and Naga groups for an updated National Register of Citizens before the exercise.
Congress Criticism
The Kuki-Zo Council described that demand as “premature and unjustified,” according to the report.
- Main enumeration
- December 1, 2026-January 4, 2027, in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and non-snow-bound Uttarakhand
- Self-enumeration
- November 16-November 30, 2026, in the December-schedule areas
- Revisional round
- January 5-January 9, 2027
- Main-area reference date
- 00:00 hours on January 5, 2027
- Snow-bound enumeration
- September 1-30, 2026, in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
- Snow-bound reference date
- 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026
- Census budget
- The Union Cabinet approved Rs 11,718 crore for Census 2027
- Manipur
- House-listing operations for Census 2027 were deferred until further declaration
Sources
Census: Population enumeration in 4 poll-bound states from Dec 1, 2026 to Jan 4, 2027
Census population count in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa to begin December 1 ahead of 2027 polls
Census 2027: Population count in four poll-found states advanced to December
Census 2027: Population Enumeration In 4 Poll-Bound States From December 1
