Overview
- The Registrar General issued a gazette notification on Saturday advancing population enumeration in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and non‑snow‑bound Uttarakhand to December 1, 2026–January 4, 2027 with a January 5, 2027 reference date.
- Residents in those areas may self‑enumerate online from November 16–30, 2026 before door‑to‑door visits begin, and a revisional round is scheduled for January 5–9, 2027 to update records.
- Officials said the change aims to avoid using the same pool of personnel, mainly school teachers and state staff, for both census duties and upcoming assembly elections.
- The Home Ministry separately issued a gazette notification formally deferring the house‑listing phase in Manipur until further declaration after sustained local protests that demanded an NRC update first.
- Census 2027 will use digital tools and an expanded questionnaire that includes a 40‑question population phase and an open‑ended caste field, prompting political debate about representation, data use and trust in the count.