Census in four poll-bound states to begin on December 1

Population enumeration for Census 2027 will commence in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and parts of Uttarakhand on December 1, 2026, according to the Registrar General of India (RGI). The Census Commissioner of India, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, announced that citizens in these regions can personally participate in the self-enumeration process from November 16 to November 30, 2026.

The RGI and Census Commissioner informed that the Census will cover the states of Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and areas excluding snow-bound regions of Uttarakhand, from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027, with a subsequent revision round from January 5 to January 9, 2027. For Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date is set for October 1, 2026.

The self-enumeration window for these areas was initiated from August 17 to 31, 2026. The Census reference date for the entire country, barring Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous regions of Jammu and Kashmir and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, was announced by the government in June 2025 as March 1, 2027.

Population enumeration for the remaining areas of the country is expected to begin in February 2027, with the exception of snow-bound regions, where data collection will cover various demographic, socio-cultural, economic parameters, migration, and fertility characteristics of individuals within each household. The term limits of state assemblies in Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will expire by May 2027, leading to early elections in these states next year.

Additionally, the Central government has postponed the house-listing operations for Census 2027 in Manipur.