Census enumeration advanced in four poll-bound states

Population enumeration for Census 2027 will take place in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and parts of Uttarakhand from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027, the Registrar General of India said on Saturday, advancing the exercise in the states likely to go to polls early next year.

In a gazette notification, the Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan said the citizens in these areas can avail the option for self-enumeration from November 16 to November 30, 2026.

"The conduct of Census of the population shall be undertaken in the States of Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and areas other than snow-bound areas of the State of Uttarakhand, from 1st December, 2026 to 4th January, 2027 with a revisional round from 5th January, 2027 to 9th January, 2027," the notification said.

It said the reference date for Census 2027 for Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand, other than snow-bound areas of the state, shall be 00:00 hours of January 5, 2027.

"For the Union territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of the 1st day of October, 2026," it added.

A government statement issued in June 2025 had said that the reference date for the remaining country, except Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, would be March 1, 2027.

The terms of the state assemblies of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will end by May 2027.