The Centre has notified the 40 questions that will be asked during the second phase of Census 2027, with the questionnaire including details on caste, religion, migration, education, employment and the place of Covid-19 vaccination.
According to a government order, the population enumeration phase will begin on September 1 in snow-bound areas, while the exercise will be carried out in the rest of the country next year.
The population enumeration in Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be conducted from September 1 to September 30.
The upcoming Census will also mark the first time caste details will be collected as part of the population enumeration.
What will the Census 2027 Phase 2 questionnaire ask?
The 40 questions notified by the Centre cover a wide range of demographic, social and economic information.
Personal and demographic details
- Name of the person
- Relationship to head of household
- Sex
- Date of birth and age
- Current marital status
- Age at marriage
- Spouse’s name
- Nationality as declared
- Religion
- Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Caste
Family, education and social details
- Father’s particulars
- Mother’s particulars
- Disability
- Mother tongue and other languages known
- Literacy and digital literacy status
- Attendance at an educational institution
- Highest educational level and stream/discipline
Employment and economic activity
- Whether worked at any time during the last year
- Category of economic activity
- Occupation
- Nature of industry, trade or service
- Class of worker
- Non-economic activity for marginal, semi-marginal and non-workers
- Whether seeking or available for work
- Travel to place of work
Migration and residence
- Birthplace
- Place of last residence
- Reason for migration
- Duration of stay in the village/town since last migration
- Permanent residential address
Fertility-related information
- Number of surviving children at present, for currently married, widowed, divorced and separated women
- Number of children ever born alive, for currently married, widowed, divorced and separated women
- Number of children born alive during the last one year, for currently married women
Covid vaccination and identity details
The questionnaire will also ask about the place of Covid-19 vaccination, making it one of the notable additions to the population enumeration.
Respondents will also be asked about:
- Place of Covid-19 vaccination
- Total number of bank accounts
- Mobile number, if available
- Aadhaar number, if available
- Voter ID number, if available
- Passport number, if the respondent is an Indian passport holder
- Availability of a driving licence
Phase 1 of Census 2027 underway
The first phase, covering the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), is currently underway and will continue until September 30.
Field visits for the house-listing exercise began on April 16 in several states and Union territories.
During this phase, enumerators visit houses and buildings and ask respondents 33 questions covering household facilities, details of the head of the household and property ownership, among other information.
The second phase will shift the focus from housing and household characteristics to detailed population enumeration, covering demographic, social, economic and migration-related information.
The inclusion of caste in the questionnaire makes Census 2027 particularly significant, as it will provide nationwide official data on caste alongside the other demographic indicators collected through the exercise.
