Why is it in the news?
→ Ministry of Home Affairs notified house-listing operations, initiating preparations for 16th Census.
→ First nationwide census since 2011.
Category: Polity
Important Points
- Two phases: Phase I (2026) House-listing; Phase II (2027) Population Enumeration.
- House-listing from 1 April to 30 September 2026.
- Reference date: 1 March 2027 (most areas); 1 October 2026 for snow-bound regions.
- Conducted under Census Act, 1948 by Registrar General of India.
- India’s first digital census with a 15-day self-enumeration window.
- Uses GPS tagging, offline capture, cloud uploads, Census Management & Monitoring System.
- House-listing expanded to 34 columns including internet access, smartphones, PNG/LPG, vehicles, drinking water, cereal consumption.
- Includes first nationwide caste enumeration since 1931 (beyond SC/ST).
- Will form the basis for future delimitation once the constitutional freeze is lifted.