Rs 6,000 crore allocated for Census 2026-27
The Union Budget on Sunday allocated Rs 6,000 crore for Census 2026-27, with the 16th edition of the mega population head count slated to begin on April 1 after a delay of almost six years. This allocation is nearly six times higher from Rs 1,040 crore allotted in the Revised Estimates for 2025-26.
The massive boost in funding for the Registrar General of India (RGI) comes at a time when the Centre is scheduled to conduct a nationwide census. The first phase of the exercise, originally scheduled for 2021, is now set to start in April. According to Union Budget documents, the allocation for Census, Survey and Statistics/Registrar General of India (RGI) rises dramatically to Rs 6,000 crore in 2026-27 from Rs 574.80 crore in 2025-26, an increase of Rs 5,425.20 crore, the steepest surge across all heads in the ministry.
“It includes provisions for the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India and various schemes of the RGI, including the National Population Register (NPR) and expenditure on Census 2027,” the Budget document said.
The developmental head “Census Surveys and Statistics” mirrors this expansion, climbing from Rs 509.86 crore to Rs 5,762.79 crore, confirming a coordinated ramp-up of funding aimed at reviving nationwide enumeration, modernising statistical infrastructure and expanding digital data systems.
