Census 2027 will go digital: Data collection will be done through mobile and geo-tagging, including caste census for the first time..

Census 2027 will be conducted as a completely digital process. At its core will be a dedicated digital portal called the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS), through which India's census, one of the world's largest administrative exercises, will be conducted.

A completely digital process for the first time
Paper forms and registers will be replaced by handheld devices, geo-tagging mapping tools, and a centralized web-based platform. This will be India's first fully digital census. Approximately 3.2 million field workers (enumerators and supervisors) will collect demographic, social, and economic data from millions of households through mobile devices. This data will be instantly transmitted, compiled, and verified through the CMMS system, reducing errors and saving time.

In a circular issued to the Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories, Registrar General of India, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, stated that Census 2027 will make extensive use of digital technology, enhancing the quality, efficiency, and timeliness of data collection.

The circular stated, "Digital technology will be extensively used to enhance the quality, efficiency, and timeliness of data collection and dissemination in the upcoming Census 2027. Data will be collected digitally in the upcoming census, which will be a significant and transformative step towards modernizing the census process."

Real-Time Monitoring Possible
According to the circular, the CMMS will enable user creation, training modules, formation of House Listing Blocks (HLBs), determination of supervisory circles, appointment of enumerators, issuance of identity cards, and real-time monitoring of field operations. It states that the CMMS also enables role-based access control to facilitate appointments, training, and near-real-time monitoring of census field operations.

It will also have a web-based mapping application that will geo-tag households. This will ensure more accurate demarcation of boundaries and reduce the likelihood of missing or duplicating areas. According to officials, geo-tagging will generate digital data useful for future disaster management, infrastructure development, and planning.

Caste Census Included for the First Time
The Union Cabinet has approved ₹11,718 crore for the 2027 Census. This will include a caste census for the first time. This will be the country's 16th census since independence, and citizens will be given the option of self-enumeration.

The census was originally proposed for 2021, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will now be conducted in two phases...
Phase 1: Houselisting and Housing Census from April to September 2026
Phase 2: Population Census in February 2027

In the first phase, citizens will be asked 33 questions. Villages or urban wards will be divided into smaller blocks called Houselisting Blocks (HLBs) and Enumeration Blocks (EBs). These will be the smallest administrative units for the census.

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