Caste among 40 questions notified for the second phase of the Census 2027

The government has notified 40 questions, including one about the respondents' caste, for the population enumeration, the second phase of the Census 2027. This phase commences in Ladakh and snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on August 17, while the remaining country will undergo the enumeration in February 2027.

Enumerating caste for the first time since independence, the question is number 10, accompanied by a "schedule caste/schedule tribe" column in an open-ended format, allowing Census officers to record the caste as declared by the individual. The decision to include caste enumeration was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on April 30 of the previous year, following the Opposition's push for the same ahead of Bihar's assembly polls.

The Opposition believed that a caste census could potentially disrupt the coalition forming the backbone of the Bharatiya Janata Party's support base. A significant caste survey carried out in Bihar revealed that backward communities constitute nearly two-thirds of the state's population. The Census questions were notified in accordance with the powers granted under sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Census Act, 1948.

Registrar General of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan announced the notification, instructing Census officers to ask all relevant questions within their designated local areas, covering personal information, education, work status, migration, and other demographic details. The notification also highlights additional prominent features of the Census 2027, such as enquiring about the "place of Covid-19 vaccination" and the number of bank accounts.

Respondents will also be asked three voluntary questions regarding mobile, Aadhaar, and Voter ID numbers. The Census 2027 employs digital tools for the first time, with data collection conducted through a dedicated mobile application while retaining the traditional door-to-door enumeration process. Originally planned for 2021, the Census was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with data collection expected to conclude by March 1, 2027. The collation and publication of results are projected to take two to three years.