The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- The Union government has advanced the Population Enumeration phase of Census 2027 in the election-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa to November 16, 2026 to January 4, 2027, ahead of the nationwide February 2027 schedule, and formally deferred the exercise in Manipur till further declaration.
- This census will, for the first time in independent India, record caste beyond Scheduled Castes and Tribes, with an open-ended caste field and an option to decline disclosure, along with at least 13 new questions on items such as digital literacy, bank accounts and identity documents.
- In Manipur, civil society groups among the Meitei and Naga communities have demanded an NRC first, and there is anxiety that census data could feed a delimitation exercise that disadvantages some communities.
- Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has criticised the revised schedule and the caste question's design as reflecting shoddy planning and political motives.
What to watch next
- How the open-ended caste question performs in the field and whether opposition pressure for a redesigned questionnaire leads to changes.
- When and on what terms the Census is eventually conducted in Manipur, including any NRC-linked demands.
- Whether the advanced enumeration schedule in the four poll-bound states draws further political or legal challenges.
Who said what2
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Jairam Ramesh
2 quotes · 1 outlet
“The population enumeration that was to take place in Feb 2027 as part of the Census 2027 exercise (which was due in 2021) has been advanced in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa, where elections are due early next year. This shows shoddy planning since it was known that these elections were due.”
In the article
…Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, where both the phases will be completed by September 30. “Shoddy planning” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the fresh notification shows “shoddy planning” on the part of the Government. “ The population enumeration that was to take place in Feb 2027 as part of the Census 2027 exercise (which was due in 2021) has been advanced in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa, where elections are due early next year. This shows shoddy planning since it was known that these elections were due. Why the sudden dawn of wisdom? Undoubtedly there are some nefarious political calculations afoot,” Mr. Ramesh said. “Question #10 being asked on caste is deliberately very poorly designed and will render the whole…
“Question #10 being asked on caste is deliberately very poorly designed and will render the whole caste census exercise meaningless.”
In the article
…are due early next year. This shows shoddy planning since it was known that these elections were due. Why the sudden dawn of wisdom? Undoubtedly there are some nefarious political calculations afoot,” Mr. Ramesh said. “ Question #10 being asked on caste is deliberately very poorly designed and will render the whole caste census exercise meaningless. The LoP-LS and LoP-RS had written to the PM on Aug 20, 2026, on this issue. Clearly, their pleas for mid-course correction and their constructive suggestions to follow the Bihar and Telangana questionnaire model have…
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Named India · Goa · Manipur · Punjab · Uttarakhand · Uttar Pradesh · Amit Shah · Congress · Government of India · Jairam Ramesh · Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India · Y. Khemchand Singh
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