India began the world's most ambitious population count on Wednesday, deploying more than three million officials to survey its 1.4 billion residents in the first census conducted in over 15 years.
The massive undertaking will span 36 states and territories, covering more than 7,000 sub-districts, 9,700 towns and nearly 640,000 villages. Officials will spend an entire year collecting data through door-to-door surveys, marking India's 16th census since British colonial rule and the eighth since independence in 1947.
For the first time, the census incorporates digital technology. Enumerators will use mobile applications to collect and upload information, while residents can self-register through a 16-language online portal that generates unique verification IDs.
The exercise unfolds in two distinct phases. The initial House Listing and Housing Census, which launched Wednesday in select regions including Delhi, Goa, and Karnataka, focuses on housing conditions, amenities and household assets. The second phase, scheduled for February 2027, will conduct detailed population enumeration covering demographics, education, migration patterns and fertility rates.
This census breaks with recent tradition by reintroducing caste enumeration — the first such count since 1931 under British rule. The decision carries significant political weight, as caste data determines access to affirmative action programs in government jobs and education for lower-caste populations, who comprise more than two-thirds of India's society.
BBC frames the census as a massive logistical undertaking crucial for policy and representation. The outlet emphasizes India's demographic transition and the administrative complexity of counting 1.4 billion people.
RFI focuses on the political implications, particularly how northern states may gain parliamentary seats. The outlet highlights the controversial return of caste enumeration and its necessity for targeting social programs.
NOS emphasizes the digital innovation and scale of the operation while noting political sensitivities around caste data. The outlet contextualizes India's rise as the world's most populous nation.
The timing reflects India's transformed demographic landscape. The country surpassed China as the world's most populous nation in 2023, according to UN estimates, yet maintains a median age of 28 with nearly 70 percent of its population in working age brackets. These figures represent projections, however, as the last official count occurred in 2011 when India's population stood at 1.21 billion.
Census results will reshape India's political map. Northern states, which tend to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP party and show higher population growth, could gain parliamentary seats at the expense of southern regions with slower demographic expansion.
The 33-question survey probes everything from roof materials and internet access to household composition and primary food sources. Enumerators — typically schoolteachers, government employees and local officials — will verify self-reported data through physical visits.
Administrative complexity delayed the original 2021 timeline, first due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then electoral scheduling conflicts. The current rollout begins in six regions before expanding nationwide, with self-enumeration running from April 1-15, followed by housing surveys through mid-May.
Beyond political redistricting, the census will guide India's development strategy as it positions itself as the world's fourth-largest economy. The data will inform welfare program targeting, infrastructure planning and resource allocation across a nation where economic disparities remain stark despite rapid growth.