New Delhi, June 4 -- India's next census--the exercise to count population and along with caste enumeration in the world's most populated country--will begin from March 1, 2027, Union government officials said on Wednesday, June 4.

The exercise will, however, begin in October 2026 in snow-bound states and union territories, such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the officials said.

The census exercise will be conducted over two phases. The exercise will take about three years and the final data of the 2027 Census will be published around 2030, after the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Caste to be enumerated in this Census exercise.

"It has been decided to conduct Population Census-2027 in two phases along with...