India’s Census 2027, the 16th in the country’s history and the 8th since Independence, launches its first phase on April 1, 2026. It is the first census to be conducted entirely digitally, with enumerators using a dedicated mobile application and citizens able to fill in their own details through a self-enumeration portal available in 16 languages.
The census runs in two phases. Phase 1 covers House Listing and Housing Census, running from April 1 to September 30, 2026, on a state-wise schedule. Phase 2, Population Enumeration, follows in February 2027.
Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan announced the schedule at a press conference in New Delhi on March 30, 2026. He said digital tools will deliver results faster than any previous census. “With digital tools, real-time monitoring and automated validation checks, the availability of initial data will be much faster than before,” he said.
All 33 Official Questions for Census 2027 Phase 1
The government has notified 33 questions for Phase 1. The questions cover housing materials, household assets, amenities, and basic demographic details.
| No. | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Building Number |
| 2 | House Number |
| 3 | Floor material |
| 4 | Wall material |
| 5 | Roof material |
| 6 | Use of the house |
| 7 | Condition of the house |
| 8 | Household Number |
| 9 | Number of household members |
| 10 | Name of Head of Household |
| 11 | Gender of Head of Household |
| 12 | Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe / Other |
| 13 | Ownership status of the house |
| 14 | Number of rooms |
| 15 | Number of married couples |
| 16 | Main source of drinking water |
| 17 | Availability of drinking water source |
| 18 | Main source of lighting |
| 19 | Availability of toilet facility |
| 20 | Type of toilet |
| 21 | Drainage facility for wastewater |
| 22 | Availability of bathing facility |
| 23 | Kitchen and LPG/PNG connection |
| 24 | Main fuel used for cooking |
| 25 | Radio/Transistor |
| 26 | Television |
| 27 | Internet facility |
| 28 | Laptop/Computer |
| 29 | Telephone/Mobile Phone/Smartphone |
| 30 | Bicycle/Scooter/Motorcycle/Moped |
| 31 | Car/Jeep/Van |
| 32 | Main cereal consumed |
| 33 | Mobile Number |
FAQ: Caste Lists, Live-In Couples, and Common Questions Answered
The self-enumeration portal includes an FAQ section to help citizens with difficult or ambiguous questions. The answers come directly from the Census of India.
On caste listing, the FAQ states: “The Census of India has compiled it and provided the list of castes for all states/UTs. If your caste or tribe name is not listed under your state/UT’s caste list, you can select ‘Other’ from the option.” Each state and UT has its own notified list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
On live-in relationships, the FAQ asks: “Will a couple in a live-in relationship be considered a married couple?” The answer is direct: “If they consider their relationship as a stable union, they should be treated as a married couple.”
On mobile phones with FM radio, the FAQ clarifies that a smartphone with FM counts as a radio. Citizens should “Record ‘On Mobile/Smartphone'” under that question.
The self-enumeration window of 15 days opens before the 30-day door-to-door phase begins in each state. The earliest states, including Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, and Lakshadweep, begin self-enumeration on April 1, with house listing starting April 16.
Caste enumeration will take place in Phase 2 in February 2027, as decided by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
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