Centre brings forward Census count in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Punjab

India’s Centre has brought forward the population count in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and areas of Uttarakhand outside the snowbound regions, all states expected to hold assembly elections in the first quarter of 2027.

A gazette notification issued by Registrar General of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan sets the enumeration period from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027. Enumerators will conduct a revision round from January 5 to 9, while the new reference date for the four states will be midnight at the start of January 5, 2027.

The self-enumeration facility will be available from November 16 to 30, before officials begin household visits. The revision round allows enumerators to return to homes and update information if household circumstances have changed since the initial visit.

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The conduct of Census of the population shall be undertaken in the States of Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and areas other than snow-bound areas of Uttarakhand, from December 1, 2026 to January 4, 2027 with a revisional round from January 5 to January 9.

The population count for most of India is otherwise scheduled for February next year. The exercise is already under way in Ladakh and snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The reference date for the rest of the country remains March 1, while it is October 1 for Ladakh and the snowbound areas.

Officials who spoke anonymously said the earlier dates would make staff available for both the elections and the census. Many personnel used in both exercises are teachers or state government employees. The decision indicates that the four states’ elections are likely to proceed as scheduled rather than being postponed because of the census.

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The dates for poll-bound states have been advanced to have manpower available for elections as well as Census, because a large number of staff used in both the exercises are teachers or state government staff.