Overview
- A second Population Enumeration pre‑test began on July 6 in sample areas across 16 states and union territories, including a localized rehearsal in Faridabad, to run through mid and late July and validate field procedures.
- Rehearsal teams are using an open text column for castes outside the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe lists while SC and ST entries use coded lists, and officials say the method remains provisional pending feedback.
- Census 2027 will be India’s first fully digital census and will offer online self‑enumeration plus offline mobile data capture, geo‑tagging of buildings, and a web‑based monitoring system to speed collection and cut duplication.
- The full operation will train roughly three million field workers and has an approved budget of ₹11,718.24 crore; the Population Enumeration phase is scheduled nationwide for February 2027 with counts in snowbound areas to finish by September 30.
- Officials say the pre‑test is a dress rehearsal to fix question wording, apps, and training after the 2011 SECC returned millions of varied caste names, and its outcome could affect how policy planners use caste data for services and planning.