The 33 questions to be asked in the Census 2027

The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) on Thursday (January 22, 2025) notified 33 questions that will be put to citizens during the house listing and housing enumeration, starting April 1 extending to September 30.

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

(Office of Registrar General, India)

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 22nd January, 2026

S.O. 353(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948), and in supersession of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs (Office of the Registrar General, India) number S.O. 120(E), dated the 7th January,2020 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), dated the 9th January, 2020, except as respects 

things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby instructs that all the Census Officers may, within the limits of the local areas for which they have been respectively appointed, ask all such questions from all persons on the items enumerated below for collecting information through the house listing and housing census schedule in connection with the Census of India 2027 namely:-

1. Building number (Municipal or local authority or census number).
2. Census house number.
3. Predominant material of floor of the census house.
4. Predominant material of wall of the census house.
5. Predominant material of roof of the census house.
6. Ascertain use of census house.
7. Condition of the census house.
8. Household number.
9. Total number of persons normally residing in the household.
10. Name of the head of the household.
11. Sex of the head of the household.
12. Whether the head of the household belongs to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Other.
13. Ownership status of the census house.
14. Number of dwelling rooms exclusively in possession of the household.
15. Number of married couple(s) living in the household.
16. Main source of drinking water.
17. Availability of drinking water source.
18. Main source of lighting.
19. Access to latrine.
20. Type of latrine.
21. Waste water outlet.
22. Availability of bathing facility.
23. Availability of kitchen and LPG/PNG connection.
24. Main fuel used for cooking.
25. Radio/Transistor.
26. Television.
27. Access to internet.
28. Laptop/Computer.
29. Telephone/Mobile Phone/Smartphone.
30. Bicycle/Scooter/Motorcycle/Moped.
31. Car/Jeep/Van.
32. Main Cereal consumed in the household.
33. Mobile Number (for census related communications only).

[F. No. 9/8/2025- CD (Cen)]
MRITUNJAY KUMAR NARAYAN, 

Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India

Gazette Notification

Click here to view download PDF 

House lusting for Census starts from 1st April to 30th September, 2026

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

(Office Of Registrar General, India)

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 7th January, 2026

S.O. 99(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 and section 17A of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948) read with rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990 and in supersession of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs (Office of the Registrar General, India) number S.O. 119(E), dated the 7th January, 2020, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3,
Sub-section (ii), dated the 9th January, 2020, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby declares that the house listing operations of the Census of India 2027 shall take place between 1st April, 2026 and 30th September, 2026 in all States and Union territories in India during the period of thirty days specified by each State and Union territory. There shall also be an option for self-enumeration which shall be conducted in fifteen days’ time period just before the start of house to house houselisting operations of thirty days.

[F. No: 9/8/2025- CD (Cen)]
MRITUNJAY KUMAR NARAYAN, 

Registrar General and Census Commissioner

Gazette Notification 

Click here to view / download. PDF

Central Government hereby declares census of the population of India w.e.f. 01.03 2027.

 MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

(OFFICE OF REGISTRAR GENERAL, INDIA)

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 16th June, 2025.

 S.O. 2681(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948), and in supersession of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs (Office of the Registrar General, India) number S.O. 1455(E), dated the 26th March, 2019 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, section 3, sub-section (ii), dated the 28th March, 2019, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby declares that a census of the population of India shall be taken during the year 2027. 

2. The reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of the 1st day of March, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. 

3. In respect of the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of the 1st day of October, 2026.

[F.No: 9/8/2025- CD (Cen)]

MRITUNJAY KUMAR NARAYAN, 

Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India

Gazette Notification 

Click here to view/download.PDF