Census of India
Constitutional Basis and Historical Significance
The Census of India is conducted under the Census Act, 1948, and is carried out by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is the most comprehensive single source of demographic, social, and economic data on India's population. Conducted every decade, it forms the foundation for electoral delimitation, welfare targeting, infrastructure planning, and resource allocation.
- Legal basis: Census Act, 1948
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs
- Last census conducted: 2011 (16th census will be 2027 — a 16-year gap instead of the usual 10)
- 2011 Census data: Population 121 crore; sex ratio 940:1000 (female:male); literacy 74.04%
- Reference date: March 1, 2027 (for most regions; November 1 for Jammu & Kashmir and snow-bound areas)
- Budget: ₹14,618 crore estimated for Census 2027
- India's census: Largest population count exercise in the world
● Tracked since March 05, 2026 · last seen May 24, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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