New Delhi, March 25 The questions related to caste that enumerators will be asked will be announced before the start of the second phase of the 2027 Census, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the questions will be finalized based on inputs and suggestions received from various ministries, departments, organizations, and Census data users, before each Census.
"The questions, including those related to caste, for the second phase will be finalized and announced according to the established procedure," he said.
The Census will be conducted in two phases – house listing and housing census from April to September 2026, and population enumeration (PE) in February 2027.
The house listing and housing census will systematically list all structures, houses, and households throughout the country to provide a solid foundation for the population enumeration.
The Union Cabinet has approved ₹11,718 crore for conducting the 2027 Census of India, which will include the enumeration of caste for the first time.
The 16th Census since Independence will be a fully digital exercise and will offer citizens the option of self-enumeration. The decennial exercise, scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic across the country.
