The Centre is expected to initiate the long-awaited census, a comprehensive survey of the country’s population, in 2025 after a four-year delay, according to an India Today report.
The census process is set to commence in 2025 and is anticipated to extend into 2026.
Upon completion of the census, delimitation of Lok Sabha seats will follow, with this exercise likely concluding by 2028, sources added.
This update comes amid demands from multiple opposition parties for a caste-based census, though the government has yet to reach a decision, and specific details of the census process remain undisclosed.
Typically conducted every decade to update the National Population Register (NPR), the census had been scheduled for 2021 but was delayed due to the Covid pandemic, prompting an adjustment to the census cycle.
The upcoming census is expected to cover customary topics such as religion and social class and include counts of General, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes. However, sources indicate that this round may also gather data on sub-sects within the General and SC-ST categories.
In a sign that preparations are underway, the central deputation of Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, currently serving as Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, has been extended until August 2026.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, discussing the timeline for the decadal census, stated in August that “it will be conducted at an appropriate time. Once determined, I will announce the process.”
Shah also informed that the next national census would be entirely digital, utilising a mobile phone application.
The previous census recorded India’s population at over 1.21 billion, reflecting a growth rate of 17.7%.