Politics · India · 3 hrs ago
India expands eligibility for Census 2027 enumerators
India's Home Ministry has expanded who can work as Census 2027 enumerators.
The change makes teachers from government, aided and private institutions eligible, along with clerks and officials from government bodies, public-sector companies and banks.
State governments and Union territory administrations can also choose other people they consider suitable for the work.
The amended rules clarify who can be assigned to collect census information and widen the pool of available staff.
The next phase will count the population and record caste for the first time since 1931.
The census will also collect information on households' demographic, social and economic circumstances, as well as migration and fertility.
The schedule varies by region: some areas are set for population enumeration from December 1 to January 4, 2027, while the exercise in much of the rest of the country is expected to begin in February.
India has expanded the categories of people who can be hired as enumerators for Census 2027.
The amended rules include teachers at aided and unaided private institutions, and staff at public sector undertakings, banks and other establishments.
State governments and Union territory administrations may also appoint any person they consider suitable.
The changes were notified on October 16, 2026, as the second phase of the census is being prepared.
That phase will collect population data and, for the first time since 1931, record caste.
- Who
- The Union government amended the rules. States and Union territory administrations may hire enumerators from the expanded pool.
- What
- The rules broaden who can be hired to carry out Census 2027 enumeration.
- When
- The amendment was notified on October 16, 2026.
- Where
- The rules apply across India.
- Why
- The amendment clarifies and expands the pool of staff available for census work. The wider pool is expected to help capture responses accurately, including caste data.
Petitioners challenging the deployment of private-school teachers
The Centre expanding the eligible pool
Deployment of private-school teachers
Petitioners challenging the deployment of private-school teachers
Petitions in courts, including the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenged requisitioning and deploying teachers from private unaided schools for census duty.
The Centre expanding the eligible pool
The amended rules make teachers from aided and unaided private institutions eligible to be hired as enumerators.
Census work took place in Ladakh and snow-bound, non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The Centre notified amendments expanding the categories of people eligible to serve as enumerators.
Hindustan Times reported that population enumeration was scheduled for Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and non-snow-bound areas of Uttarakhand.
The second phase was expected to begin in the rest of the country, according to the reports.
- Amendment date
- October 16, 2026
- Eligible teachers
- Teachers at government, local-authority, aided or unaided private institutions, societies and trusts
- Eligible staff
- Clerks and officials at central and state governments, local authorities, PSUs, statutory bodies, banks, companies, institutions, societies and trusts
- Additional eligible people
- Anyone a state government or Union territory administration considers suitable
- Caste data
- The second phase will record caste for the first time since 1931
2 sources
What people are saying
Any person, as the State Government or the Union territory Administration may consider suitable, to perform the duties as an Enumerator.