New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has officially issued the notification for Census 2025, marking the beginning of a two-phase nationwide population count that will conclude by March 1, 2027. This will be India’s first digital census and will also feature caste-based enumeration for the first time.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting on June 15 to assess preparations, joined by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Registrar General Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, and other senior officials.

The census will be conducted in two distinct phases:

  • House Listing Operation (HLO) – covering data on housing, amenities, and assets.
  • Population Enumeration (PE) – collecting detailed demographic, social, economic, and cultural data of individuals.

Over 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, along with 1.3 lakh functionaries, will be deployed for the digital exercise. Citizens will also have access to a self-enumeration portal through mobile applications. The government has assured the use of stringent data security measures for the collection, transmission, and storage of information.

Caste enumeration, approved by the Union Cabinet on April 30, 2025, will form a crucial part of the PE phase. This data is expected to significantly inform policy planning, welfare schemes, and social justice initiatives.

The reference date for the census is 12 a.m. on March 1, 2027. As mandated by the Constitution, the data from this census will serve as the basis for delimiting Lok Sabha constituencies after 2026, ahead of the next general election scheduled for 2029.

The previous census was held in 2011, with the 2021 round delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.