The Union government has advanced the population enumeration phase of Census 2027 for four states scheduled to hold Assembly elections between February and March 2027. The decision has been met with criticism from the Congress party, who argue that it demonstrates poor planning.
On Saturday, the Union government announced an advancement of the population enumeration phase of the upcoming Census 2027 in four states: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Goa. These states are due to hold Assembly elections early next year. The exercise will now commence on December 1 and conclude on January 4, 2027, with January 5, 2027, as the reference date.
In a separate notification, residents of these four states, along with non-hilly regions of Uttarakhand, were granted the option to self-enumerate online between November 16 and November 30. A revisional round will be conducted from January 5 to January 9, 2027.
The first phase of the census is already underway in hilly and snow-bound areas in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. This phase will be completed by September 30, with October 1 as the reference date.
The announcement has been met with criticism from the Congress party, who argue that it demonstrates poor planning given the knowledge of upcoming elections. Party leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the sudden decision, suggesting there may be political motivations behind it.
In a separate development, the Union government deferred the Census in Manipur ‘till further declaration’ on August 31 due to demands from Meitei and Naga groups for an update of the National Register of Citizens before conducting the exercise. However, the Kuki-Zo Council described this demand as 'premature and unjustified', according to The New Indian Express.
Source:
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