Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 6: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has advanced the population enumeration schedule for the second phase of Census 2027 in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand, a move that has triggered political speculation as the four States are due to hold Assembly elections in early 2027.

According to a circular issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, population enumeration in Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab will be conducted from December 1, 2026 to January 4, 2027, followed by a revisional round from January 5 to 9. Uttarakhand will follow the same schedule except in its snow-bound areas.

In the rest of the country, population enumeration will take place later, from February 9 to 28, 2027.

The decision assumes particular significance as Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are among the States scheduled to go to the polls in February-March 2027. Uttarakhand is also due to hold Assembly elections around the same period.

In Goa, the early census schedule is also being viewed against the backdrop of the long-pending exercise to provide reservation for Scheduled Tribe communities in the State Legislative Assembly. Updated demographic data is expected to play an important role in determining the reservation.

For the first time, the second phase will provide citizens with an option to complete self-enumeration online before the door-to-door exercise. In Goa, residents will be able to submit their details online from November 16 to 30, 2026, before enumerators begin visiting households from December 1.

The second phase of Census 2027 will be considerably more detailed than the 2011 Census. Enumerators will use a questionnaire containing around 40 questions, including 10 additional questions that were not part of the previous census.

Apart from basic information such as name, age and gender, citizens will be asked about nationality, bank accounts, Aadhaar, passport, voter identity card and mobile phone ownership. Details of parents and Covid-19 vaccination status will also be recorded.

The questionnaire will also seek information on marital status, age at marriage, religion, mother tongue, other languages known, literacy and digital literacy, educational qualifications, employment status, occupation and migration history.

Information on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe status, disability, place of birth, permanent address and reasons for migration will also be collected. Married, widowed, divorced or separated women will be asked to provide details of their living children.

The first phase of Census 2027, which covered housing conditions and household amenities, has already been completed. It also included an online self-reporting facility.

The decision to advance the population enumeration in the four States, however, has drawn criticism from the Congress.

Congress general secretary and communications chief Jairam Ramesh on Saturday questioned the Centre’s decision, alleging that it could be linked to “nefarious political calculations”.

In a post on X, Ramesh said the elections in the affected States were already known to be due early next year and questioned why the government had suddenly decided to advance the census schedule.

He also accused the Centre of “shoddy planning” and questioned what had led to the “sudden dawn of wisdom” in advancing the exercise.

Ramesh separately criticised the proposed caste enumeration framework, claiming that the caste-related question in the census questionnaire was poorly designed and could undermine the entire caste census exercise.

He said the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 20, seeking changes to the format and recommending that the government consider the models used in Bihar and Telangana.

According to Ramesh, those suggestions were not accepted.

The Centre’s decision to advance the census schedule is therefore likely to remain politically significant, particularly in Goa, where demographic data could have implications for Assembly constituency-related exercises and the long-pending demand for Scheduled Tribe reservation, as well as in the other States preparing for the 2027 Assembly elections.