The Indian government has confirmed that questions pertaining to caste enumeration for the Census 2027 will be finalized and notified prior to the commencement of its second phase. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Rajya Sabha that these questions will be developed based on inputs from various ministries, departments, organizations, and data users. The 16th Census since Independence is scheduled to be conducted in two phases: the houselisting and housing census from April to September 2026, followed by population enumeration in February 2027. This upcoming census marks the first instance of explicit caste enumeration and will be a fully digital exercise, offering citizens the option of self-enumeration. The Union Cabinet has approved ₹11,718 crore for this decadal exercise, which was originally slated for 2021 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/questions-on-caste-to-be-notified-before-second-phase-of-census-2027-government/article70784908.ece
