India is finally preparing to conduct its long-awaited population census after a six-year delay, the government confirmed this week. The massive two-phase exercise, which was originally scheduled for 2021, will now conclude by 2027, marking the country’s first official population count since 2011.

Announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday, the census will use 1 March 2027 as the official reference date for most of the country. For snow-bound regions like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, the reference date will be 1 October 2026. However, the government has yet to reveal the exact start date for data collection.

India’s census, conducted every 10 years under the Census Act of 1948, is among the largest administrative exercises in the world. The data gathered is essential for distributing federal funds, designing welfare programs, creating electoral boundaries, and formulating development policy. While the Act outlines the legal basis for conducting the census, it does not mandate a fixed timeline or deadline for its execution.

The most recent census was held in 2011. The Modi government initially cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the delay, but critics have questioned why the count continued to be postponed even after public life largely returned to normal. In the interim, experts have warned of serious implications, ranging from resource misallocation to citizens being excluded from vital welfare schemes, due to the lack of updated demographic data.

A significant addition to this upcoming census is the inclusion of caste-based data for all Indian citizens. This will be the first time since 1931, during British colonial rule, that caste will be officially recorded in a national census. The issue remains sensitive and politically charged, but it is seen by many as crucial for understanding social and economic disparities across the country.

The delay and eventual resumption of the census have reignited discussions about the importance of timely and accurate data collection in the world’s most populous country. Experts stress that without updated figures, policy planning and implementation continue to suffer, underscoring the urgent need to move ahead with the count.