Gazette of India notification issued June 16, 2025, marking the formal commencement of the 16th Census. It will conducted in Two‑phase.Begins October 1, 2026 in snowbound areas (Ladakh, J&K, Himachal, Uttarakhand), then rolls out nationwide. Population enumeration Begins March 1, 2027 (00:00 hrs), with data collected on demographics, socio-economics, religion, language, and—crucially—caste. Caste enumeration reinstated […]