Caste census in India will be held in two phases.

• India’s first digital Census to be held after 16 years.

• The first in Independent India to include caste enumeration.

• Conducted in two phases by February 28, 2027.

• Data reference date: 12 a.m. on March 1, 2027.

• For Union Territory of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, reference date: 12 a.m. on October 1, 2026.

• Not yet notified commencement date.

• The first Census after 2026 can be used to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies based on 1971 Census data.