India advances Census 2027 enumeration in four states

The Indian government has advanced the population enumeration schedule for Census 2027 in several states, including Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and the non-snowbound regions of Uttarakhand. The enumeration is scheduled to take place from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027.

Residents in these specific areas will have the opportunity to participate in a self-enumeration phase between November 16 and November 30, 2026. Following the primary enumeration, a revisional round will be conducted from January 5 to January 9, 2027, to allow for the review and updating of census records. For these states, the official reference date for recording population details is set for midnight on January 5, 2027.

The expedited timeline for these regions coincides with upcoming Assembly elections expected in the first half of 2027. Other regions, such as Ladakh and snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, will follow a different schedule with a reference date of October 1, 2026. For the remainder of the country, the reference date remains March 1, 2027.