Originally delayed partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the census began on Wednesday and is scheduled to conclude by March 31 of next year, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In the initial phase, census workers will spend roughly a month visiting households to document housing stock and living conditions.
Data collection will be conducted both through in-person surveys and online methods, with residents given the option to submit information via a dedicated smartphone application.
A second phase of the census will begin in September, focusing on more detailed data, including social and economic characteristics of individuals, such as religion and caste, to provide a comprehensive demographic profile of the nation.
Caste is an ancient system of social hierarchy in India and is influential in defining social standing and deciding who gets access to resources, education and economic opportunity.
There are hundreds of caste groups based on occupation and economic status across India, particularly among Hindus, but the country has limited or outdated data on how many people belong to them.
Successive governments have resisted conducting a full caste count, arguing it could heighten social tensions and trigger unrest.
Population data collected through the census underpins the distribution of government welfare programmes and a wide range of public policies.
It could also prompt a redrawing of India’s political map, as seats in the lower house of parliament and state legislatures may be increased to reflect population growth.
A 2023 law reserves one-third of legislative seats for women, so any expansion would raise the number of seats set aside for female representatives.
Supporters have stressed the need for data on those deserving government assistance, while critics say caste has no place in a country with ambitions of becoming a key world power.
The last attempt to gather detailed caste information through a census dates to 1931, during British colonial rule.
Since independent India’s first census in 1951, it counted only Dalits and Adivasis, members of marginalised groups known as scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
The previous census conducted in India was in 2011 and recorded a population of 1.21 billion. It is now estimated to be more than 1.4 billion, making India the world’s most populous nation.
India overtook China in 2023, according to the United Nations Population Fund.
