The Government of India has formally notified the schedule for the first phase of Census 2027 across the country, while keeping Manipur outside the exercise until further declaration, marking a significant development amid the State’s continuing demand for implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before conducting the Census.
A notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, dated October 30, 2026, states that the population Census will be conducted from January 25 to February 28, 2027, with a revision round scheduled from March 1 to March 5, 2027.
However, the notification explicitly excludes Manipur from the exercise, stating that the Census schedule will apply to all States and Union Territories except Manipur, “till further declaration”.
The notification, S.O. 5913(E), issued under Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, read with Rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990, also provides for self-enumeration from January 10 to January 24, 2027, ahead of the house-to-house population enumeration.
The reference date for the Census has been fixed at 00:00 hours of March 1, 2027.
The exclusion of Manipur assumes particular significance as various civil society organisations and sections of the public have consistently demanded that the NRC be implemented before conducting the Census, citing concerns over alleged illegal immigration, demographic changes and the need to establish a verified record of the indigenous population.
The demand has also received legislative backing, with the Manipur Legislative Assembly having adopted a resolution in 2022 seeking implementation of the NRC before the Census, which was subsequently reaffirmed in 2024.
Earlier, the Union Government had deferred the Census exercise in Manipur following widespread protests and representations demanding that the NRC be conducted first.
Notably, the notification does not announce any decision on the implementation of the NRC, nor does it provide a timeline for completing the proposed citizenship register before the Census in Manipur.
The development leaves the crucial question of the State’s demand for NRC before Census awaiting a clear policy decision from the Central Government.