Census 2026 to include caste questions for first time as Centre notifies 40 queries

Updated On: 15 August, 2026 09:18 AM IST | New Delhi | Agencies

The Centre has notified 40 questions for the population enumeration phase of Census 2026, including caste details for the first time. Enumeration will begin on September 1 in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while the exercise will be conducted digitally across the country

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The population enumeration phase of the Census is set to begin from September 1 in snow-bound areas. REPRESENTATION PIC

The Centre on Friday notified 40 questions, including for the first time queries on caste, to be asked of respondents during the population enumeration phase of the Census, set to begin from September 1 in snow-bound areas, a government order said.

The order from Registrar General of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan notifies questions such as whether the person belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe and their caste.