India’s first post-Independence caste census to begin on October 1, 2026, in two phases

New Delhi: India’s first caste census since independence will be held in conjunction with the decennial population census, starting from October 1, 2026, and conducted in two phases. The first phase will cover snowbound hilly regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Data collection, to be done alongside decennial census, in these areas will begin at midnight on September 30. The second phase, covering the rest of the country, will begin on March 1, 2027, with operations commencing at midnight on February 28. This process is expected to continue until 2028. The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that the census notification will be published in the Gazette on June 16.

India’s last census was conducted in 2011, which recorded a population of 1.21 billion. The upcoming enumeration, which was delayed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now scheduled for next year. By October 1, the country’s population is expected to have crossed 1.45 billion.

Since the last Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party, and the INDIA alliance have been demanding a caste census in the country. Initially, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not concede to these demands. However, following a less-than-expected performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, including in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has shown signs of rethinking its position. The announcement of the caste census is also seen in the context of upcoming elections in Bihar and other states.

Last caste census conducted in 1931 during British Rule

The last caste census in India took place in 1931 under British rule. The findings of that census and the 90-volume encyclopaedic work ‘People of India’ published by the Anthropological Survey of India remain key sources of information on caste in India today. In 2011, the UPA government conducted a Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), but the data was never released due to opposition and controversy.