India to launch vast census, mobilising 3 million officials for year-long count
New Delhi-India will deploy more than three million officials to conduct a nationwide census beginning April 1, in a delayed but expansive effort to count its population of over 1.4 billion and gather detailed socio-economic data, authorities said.
The once-in-a-decade exercise, postponed from 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will begin with a short online self-enumeration phase, followed by two rounds of door-to-door surveys, according to Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan.
Officials said the first phase will document housing stock and living conditions, while the second will record demographic, economic and social details of residents. The entire process is expected to take about a year, with completion targeted for March 2027.India became the world’s most populous country in 2023, surpassing China, according to the United Nations Population Fund.
The upcoming census will also include caste enumeration, a move likely to intensify political and social debate. India’s caste system, rooted in centuries-old social hierarchies, continues to influence access to education, jobs and political representation.
Supporters argue that updated caste data is essential to better target welfare policies and affirmative action programmes. Critics, however, say such classification risks reinforcing divisions in a country seeking to position itself as a global economic power.
India last attempted a comprehensive caste count in 2011, the first in decades, though the data was not fully released due to concerns over accuracy.
Despite its size, India’s population is widely viewed by policymakers as an economic asset due to its relatively young demographic profile.
Officials have long argued that a large working-age population could drive growth, especially as many advanced economies face ageing populations and shrinking labour forces.
Authorities said the upcoming census would be conducted using digital tools for the first time, with key datasets expected to be released shortly after the enumeration concludes.
