Census data
Census data · NFHS · PLFS · sample-survey findings
12 min read · Updated 2026-08-03
What is the Census of India?
The Census of India is the decennial complete enumeration of every household, conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Home Ministry. The last completed round was 2011, which recorded 1.21 billion people, a sex ratio of 943 and 74 percent literacy; the next has a reference date of 1 March 2027 and will enumerate caste for the first time since 1931.
The story
29 October 2024, 11:00 AM IST, the Press Information Bureau puts out a Cabinet decision that Home Minister Amit Shah has been signalling for weeks — Census 2027 will be conducted from 1 October 2026. The decennial Census, originally due in 2021, was repeatedly postponed (Covid-19, the digital CIS census platform, awaiting the delimitation freeze verdict). It will now stretch into 2027. A formal caste-enumeration column has been included for the first time since 1931. The reference date for population is 1 March 2027.
Twenty days later, on 18 November 2024, the NSO (National Statistical Office) releases the PLFS Annual Report July 2023-June 2024. Headline: India's unemployment rate (usual status, 15+ years) = 3.2%. The same fortnight, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare confirms that NFHS-6 fieldwork has begun — the survey machinery that gave India its Total Fertility Rate dip from 2.2 (NFHS-4) to 2.0 (NFHS-5) is back in the field for the 2024-2026 cycle.
Three statistical instruments — Census, NFHS, PLFS — between them produce most numbers UPSC asks. Add PMAY-G survey, ASUSE 2023, HCES 2022-23, MISH, UDISE+, and the Indian statistician's calendar is fuller than the politician's.
Why this matters for UPSC
UPSC Prelims has asked 2-3 data questions per cycle on at least one of these surveys — typically match the survey with the metric it reports, or what is the latest figure for X. Mains GS-I (society) and GS-III (economy) consistently lean on NFHS, PLFS, and HCES numbers as evidence. Interview boards probe "why is the female labour force participation rate so different under NFHS vs PLFS?" — answerable only with framework knowledge.