New Delhi, June 15: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday reviewed the preparations for the forthcoming Census of India in a high-level meeting held in New Delhi, according to an official notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The review meeting was attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan and other senior officials.
As per MHA, the Government of India will issue the official notification to conduct the Census on June 16, 2025, through publication in the Gazette of India, marking the formal commencement of the nationwide exercise.
“I have reviewed the preparations for the 16th Census with senior officials. Tomorrow, the gazette notification of the census will be issued. The census will include caste enumeration for the first time. As many as 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh census functionaries will conduct the operation with cutting-edge mobile digital gadgets,” said Amit Shah after the review.
The upcoming Census, the 16th since the process began and the 8th to be conducted after Independence, will be carried out in two distinct phases. The first phase, Houselisting Operations (HLO), will involve the collection of data on housing conditions, household assets, and access to basic amenities. The second phase, the Population Enumeration (PE), will focus on gathering detailed information on the demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and other personal attributes of every individual across the country. In a significant move, the Census will also include caste enumeration, responding to long-standing public and political discourse around the issue.
A workforce of around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, along with 1.3 lakh Census functionaries, will be deployed to carry out the exercise across the length and breadth of the country.
For the first time in the history of the Indian Census, the process will be conducted using digital tools and mobile applications, making it the most technologically advanced Census to date. Citizens will also have the option to participate through self-enumeration, further enhancing ease of access and participation.
Recognising the sensitivity and scale of the data being collected, the government has emphasised that stringent data security measures will be put in place to ensure the safety and privacy of all information during its collection, transmission, and storage.
With this digital-first approach and a renewed emphasis on inclusivity and precision, the forthcoming Census aims to lay the foundation for more informed policymaking and equitable governance.
It is pertinent mentioning here the last census was held in 2011 and the subsequent exercise scheduled to take place in 2021 was delayed indefinitely, initially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 30, the Union Cabinet had decided to include caste enumeration as part of the next census exercise, the MHA statement said.
