The Union Authorities on Friday (August 14, 2026) notified 40 questions, which amongst others asks will ask the respondents to file their “caste” throughout the Inhabitants Enumeration train, the second section of Population Census 2027. That is the primary time caste might be enumerated in Impartial India, aside from that of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste.
Query quantity 10 on the Census schedule reads “Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Caste.” Officers mentioned that the enumerator will file the caste as declared by the respondent as it’s an open column.
As reported by The Hindu on July 6, the rehearsal, or the “pre-test” for the PE section, was performed from July 1 to twenty in 16 States and Union Territories, the place respondents, aside from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, recorded their castes in an “open column”, or the enumerator famous a resident’s caste as declared by them. The methodology is more likely to be retained within the closing type.
Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, the Registrar Normal and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) notified the questions that census officers might be authorised to ask throughout the Census of India 2027, increasing the scope of information assortment to incorporate particulars reminiscent of Aadhaar numbers, cell numbers, voter IDs, financial institution accounts and Covid-19 vaccination data, wherever accessible.
The questions have been notified days forward of the second section of Census, which begins in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of J&Ok, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on August 17, a lot earlier than the remainder of the nation, the place the train will happen in February 2027.
The notification, issued by the Ministry of Residence Affairs beneath the Census Act, 1948, authorises census officers to gather data by the family schedule from each individual residing of their assigned areas.
In line with the notification, officers will collect 40 classes of knowledge from residents. These embody fundamental demographic particulars reminiscent of title, age, intercourse, marital standing, partner’s title, nationality, faith, caste or tribe and parental data.
The questionnaire wil search data on training and abilities, together with literacy and digital literacy standing, attendance in instructional establishments, and the very best stage of training attained. Language-related data, together with mom tongue and different recognized languages, may also be recorded.
Respondents might be requested whether or not they labored throughout the earlier yr, their occupation, business or service sector, class of employee and whether or not they’re looking for employment. Info on journey to the office may also be collected.
The notification additional gives for the gathering of migration-related knowledge, together with hometown, earlier place of residence, causes for migration and length of keep on the present location since migration. Everlasting residential deal with particulars may also be recorded.
For ladies who’re presently married, widowed, divorced or separated, census officers will acquire data on the variety of youngsters surviving, youngsters ever born alive and, in some circumstances, births throughout the earlier yr.
Among the many notable additions are questions on the place of Covid-19 vaccination, the overall variety of financial institution accounts, and identification-related particulars reminiscent of cell quantity, Aadhaar quantity, voter ID quantity, passport quantity and driving licence availability, the place relevant.
Listed below are the questions:
- Identify of the individual
- Relationship to go
- Intercourse
- Date of Delivery and Age (in accomplished years)
- Present Marital Standing
- Age at Marriage (in accomplished years)
- Partner Identify
- Nationality as declared
- Faith
- Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Caste
- Father’s Particulars
- Mom’s Particulars
- Incapacity
- Mom Tongue and different languages recognized
- Literacy and digital literacy standing
- Standing of attendance in instructional establishment
- Highest instructional stage attained and Stream/Self-discipline
- Labored any time throughout final yr
- Class of financial exercise
- Occupation
- Nature of business, commerce or service
- Class of employee
- Non-economic exercise (for marginal, semi-marginal and non-worker)
- Searching for or accessible for work (for marginal, semi-marginal and non-worker)
- Journey to place of job
- Delivery place
- Place of final residence
- Cause for migration
- Period of keep on this village/city since final migration
- Everlasting Residential Tackle
- Variety of youngsters surviving at current (for presently married, widowed, divorced and separated ladies solely)
- Variety of youngsters ever born alive (for presently married, widowed, divorced and separated ladies solely)
- Variety of youngsters born alive throughout final one yr (for presently married ladies solely)
- Place of Covid-19 Vaccination
- Complete variety of Financial institution Accounts
- Cellular Quantity (if accessible)
- Aadhaar Quantity (if accessible)
- Voter ID Quantity (if accessible)
- Passport Quantity (if Indian Passport holder)
- Availability of Driving License
Revealed – August 14, 2026 10:54 am IST
