Census 2027: Caste Column Added For First Time Since Independence, MHA Notifies 40 Questions

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified 40 questions that will be asked from households as part of the Census of India 2027, with caste set to be enumerated comprehensively for the first time since Independence.

The notification, issued by the Office of the Registrar General, India, under the powers conferred by the Census Act, 1948, lays down the questions that census officials will ask through the Household Schedule in their respective areas.

The inclusion of an open caste column marks a significant change in the country's census exercise. While data on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been collected in successive Censuses, a comprehensive enumeration of all castes has not been undertaken in the population Census since 1931.

The decision to include caste enumeration in Census 2027 was approved by the Union government in 2025.

What will the Census 2027 Questionnaire Ask?

The 40-question Household Schedule covers a broad range of demographic, social, educational and economic information.

Census officials will record the name of the person, relationship with the head of the household, gender, date of birth, age, marital status, age at marriage, spouse's name and nationality.

The questionnaire will also ask about religion and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe or caste status, along with details of the respondent's father and mother.

Information on disability, mother tongue and other languages known will also be collected.

The education-related questions will cover literacy and digital literacy, attendance at educational institutions, highest educational qualification and the stream or discipline studied.

Employment and Economic Activity

The schedule will also gather detailed information about employment and economic activity.

Respondents will be asked whether they worked during the previous year, their category of economic activity, occupation, nature of industry, trade or service and class of worker.

For those not engaged in economic activity, the questionnaire will record their non-economic activity and whether they are available for or seeking work.

The Census will also collect information on whether a person travels to their place of work.

Migration Details to be Recorded

The questionnaire will seek detailed migration-related information, including a person's birthplace, place of last residence, reason for migration and duration of stay in the current village or town since their last migration.

The respondent's permanent residential address will also be recorded.

For eligible women, census officials will collect information on the number of children surviving at present, the number of children ever born alive and the number of children born alive during the last year.

Aadhaar, Voter ID, Passport and Mobile number

The Census 2027 exercise will also collect information relating to identity documents and access to financial and government-linked services.

The questionnaire includes questions on the mobile number, Aadhaar number, voter ID number and passport number for Indian passport holders.

Respondents will also be asked about the total number of bank accounts they hold and whether they have a driving licence.

Another question will seek information on the place of COVID-19 vaccination.

The inclusion of these questions means the Census will collect a broad range of information extending beyond conventional demographic and socio-economic data.

Census 2027 to be Conducted Digitally

The Census exercise is being prepared as India's first digital Census, with the government moving towards technology-enabled enumeration and self-enumeration.

The Census 2027 exercise will be conducted in two phases. The first phase involves the House Listing and Housing Census, while the second phase will comprise the population enumeration exercise covered by the newly notified 40-question Household Schedule.

The Census, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upcoming exercise is expected to provide updated demographic, social and economic data on India's population, while the inclusion of caste is likely to make the 2027 Census particularly significant.

With caste, education, employment, migration, identity documents, financial information and COVID-19 vaccination all included in the Household Schedule, Census 2027 will generate a wide-ranging dataset on India's households and population. 

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