Census 2027: Gazette Notification, Phases & Key Details

The Gazette Notification for Census 2027 was issued on 16 June 2025. This will be the 16th Census of India and the 8th Census since independence.

The central government has released a total of 33 questions for the upcoming census. According to the Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner Mrutyunjay Kumar Narayan, the census will be conducted in two phases.

Phase-wise Census Schedule

Phase 1 (April – September 2026)

• The first phase will be conducted from 1 April to September 2026
• It will focus on house listing and housing data collection
• An online self-enumeration portal has been launched
• Self-census facility will be available for 15 days
• The portal will support 16 languages

Phase 2 (February 2027 onwards)

• The second phase will begin from February 2027
• It will include population enumeration

Key Highlights of Census 2027

• The census will be fully digital
• Mascots: “Pragati” (female) and “Vikas” (male)
• Brand Ambassador: Sudarsan Pattnaik
• Caste census will be included for the first time after independence (last conducted in 1931 during British rule)

Important Questions in Census 2027 (33 Questions)

The census will include detailed questions related to housing, family structure, and socio-economic conditions, such as:

• Building number and house number
• Materials used in walls, roof, and floor
• Use and condition of the house
• Family number and number of members
• Name and gender of the head of the family
• Social category (SC/ST/Others)
• Ownership status of the house
• Number of rooms and married couples
• Source and availability of drinking water
• Source of lighting
• Availability and type of toilet
• Drainage system and bathroom availability
• Kitchen and LPG/PNG connection
• Main fuel used for cooking
• Availability of radio, television, internet
• Laptop/computer and mobile phone
• Vehicles (bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, car, etc.)
• Main cereals consumed
• Mobile number

Sheetal Devi Nominated for Para Archer of the Year 2025

India’s Sheetal Devi, a para archer from Jammu & Kashmir, has been nominated for the ‘Para Archer of the Year 2025’ award by World Archery.

She created history by becoming the first and only female armless archer to win a gold medal in the women’s compound individual event at the World Para Archery Championships 2025 held in South Korea.

Prahar Light Machine Gun Inducted into Indian Army

Adani Defence & Aerospace has delivered the first batch of 2,000 ‘Prahar’ Light Machine Guns (LMGs) to the Indian Army in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

These weapons will enhance security along:

• LAC (India–China border)
• LOC (India–Pakistan border)

Key Features of Prahar LMG

• Range: Up to 1,000 meters
• Weight: 8 kg
• Length: 1100 mm

Ravichandran Ashwin to Play in Major League Cricket (MLC)

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin is set to become the first Indian player to play in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA.

• Team: San Francisco Unicorns
• He retired from international cricket in December 2024
• Earlier signed with Sydney Thunder (BBL) but could not play due to injury

NASA Artemis-2 Mission to Launch in April 2026

NASA’s Artemis-2 mission is scheduled for launch on 1 April 2026 (subject to technical readiness).

This will be the first human mission to travel around the Moon since 1972.

Mission Details

• Duration: ~10 days
• Rocket: Space Launch System (SLS)
• Spacecraft: Orion Crew Capsule
• Objective: Orbit the Moon and return to Earth

Crew Members

• Reed Wiseman – Commander
• Victor Glover – Pilot
• Christina Koch – Mission Specialist (first woman to travel near the Moon)
• Jeremy Hansen – First non-American astronaut on a Moon mission