New Delhi | October 30, 2026 : India is preparing for its next population census, with the Census Commissioner announcing the enumeration schedule for 2027. According to an official notification issued on Friday, population enumeration will take place from January 25 to February 28, 2027, across the country, subject to specified exceptions for certain states, Union Territories and snow-bound regions.
The notification also establishes 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, as the reference date for the census and provides an advance window for residents to complete self-enumeration.
📅 KEY CENSUS 2027 DATES
🗓️ Self-enumeration period: January 10–24, 2027
🏠 Population enumeration: January 25–February 28, 2027
📌 Reference date: March 1, 2027, at 00:00 hours
🔄 Revisional round: March 1–5, 2027
The self-enumeration window will open immediately before the house-to-house population enumeration period, giving residents an option to submit their information in advance.
🏘️ HOUSE-TO-HOUSE ENUMERATION ACROSS INDIA
As stated in the notification, the population census will be conducted from January 25 to February 28, 2027, in states and Union Territories except for the specified areas:
- Manipur, until further declaration
- Goa
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Uttarakhand
- Ladakh
- Snow-bound, non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir
The notification identifies these as exceptions to the announced schedule. Separate timing or further instructions for the excluded areas may be subject to subsequent declarations.
💻 SELF-ENUMERATION: AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN ADVANCE
The self-enumeration facility will be available from January 10 to January 24, 2027.
This advance period precedes the house-to-house enumeration exercise. Residents who choose this option should follow the official instructions and procedures announced by the Census authorities.
Further details about the process, eligibility, access arrangements and information required should be confirmed through official government communications.
📍 WHY IS MARCH 1 THE REFERENCE DATE IMPORTANT?
The notification specifies 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027, as the reference date for the population census.
A reference date provides the designated point in time against which census information is recorded and assessed. The notification also schedules a revisional round from March 1 to March 5, 2027, immediately following the main enumeration period.
🏛️ OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION
The schedule was announced by Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, through an official notification issued on October 30, 2026.
The announced dates establish the planned timetable for the main enumeration exercise, the advance self-enumeration option and the revisional round, while specified areas remain subject to exceptions.
🇮🇳 A MAJOR NATIONAL EXERCISE
A population census is an important national exercise for documenting the population and providing demographic information that can support public administration, planning and policy development.
As the 2027 schedule approaches, residents should follow official announcements for further guidance, particularly regarding self-enumeration procedures and arrangements for areas excluded from the initial timetable.
The key dates to remember are January 10 for the start of self-enumeration, January 25 for the beginning of the announced main enumeration period, and March 1, 2027, as the census reference date.
