Overview
- The House Listing and Housing Census will be conducted in a 30‑day window between April and September 2026, followed by Population Enumeration in February 2027.
- Most areas will use a reference date of 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, with Ladakh and snow‑bound parts of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand enumerated in September 2026 using a reference of October 1, 2026.
- Data will be collected via mobile apps with an option for online self‑enumeration, and paper schedules will be available where connectivity is unreliable.
- Caste enumeration will be included as cleared by the Cabinet Committee on April 30, 2025, and respondents are legally required to answer under the Census Act, 1948.
- ORGI is finalising the questionnaire after pre‑tests held November 10–30, 2025, and officials expect to deploy about 3.4 million personnel, with publication of results taking a further two to three years after fieldwork.