After much delay, the government is now readying to carry out the census. According to Zee News TV report, the census will begin next year. The census will start in 2025 and continue through 2026. Notably, the census was originally scheduled for 2021, but it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 


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Now, the census cycle will also change as the next census will next take place in 2035. 


In July 2022, the government told the Lok Sabha that its intent for conducting Census 2021 was notified in Gazette of India on 28th March, 2019. "Due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the Census 2021 and related field activities have been postponed. The forthcoming Census is to be the first digital Census. Mobile Apps for collection of data and a Census Portal for management and monitoring of various Census related activities have been developed," said the government.


Earlier this year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the census would be held very soon. However, it's not clear weather the census this time will include caste-data as well. Opposition parties including Congress have been demanding a nationwide caste-census.  


The 2024-25 Budget did not allocate funds for the Census. However, this is unlikely to pose a constraint if the government decides to proceed with the exercise in the current fiscal year.


India has conducted the census every 10 years since 1881.