Census Outline in Punjab

February 16, 2026

Abhishek Vij

It is well known that the country will be conducting a census in 2026, albeit with a delay. A proper census is essential to ensure the proper allocation of resources and development strategies for the country’s accurate population. The government has issued a notification for the census in Punjab. The Governor has approved it. Officials have been deployed for the census.

Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners, town planners, municipal commissioners, and municipal engineers have been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the census. All of them will discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the Census Act 1948 and the rules under it.

As a first step, household lists will be prepared from June 15 to 30, 2026. Prior to this, the option of self-enumeration has been extended to citizens starting April 30. People can avail this option until May 14. The census survey will ask 33 questions. These include the number of vehicles in your home, the availability of laptops, computers, and internet. Additionally, information will be collected about the availability of drinking water and its source in the area.

While orders have been issued to deploy officers from all districts, it appears that school teachers will be required to accompany other staff on the field, as no alternative recruitment has been arranged. The first phase of the census will be completed between April 1 and September 30, 2026. The local government department will begin the process on May 15. The departments have completed the work of preparing municipal and ward boundary records.

Pre-tests have been conducted in Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Malerkotla to prepare for the census. Large-scale rehearsals have also been conducted, but we believe that the employees being deployed on the ground should receive thorough training in advance.

The public should be informed about the option of self-enumeration, where they can enter their information through a mobile app or portal. Yes, field workers will assist those without mobile or internet access. After this first phase and the completion of household lists, the second phase of the census will begin in Punjab on February 1, 2027. According to government information, 3.4 million workers have been trained.

The accuracy of the information provided during the census will be verified. Furthermore, it should be remembered that the decision to conduct a caste-based census has already been made. This decision was bitterly contested between the ruling and opposition parties in the Indian Parliament. The central government, after considering all aspects, approved the caste-based census. It is estimated that the second phase, starting February 1, 2027, will collect all the information covered by the caste-based census.

This means that the development and welfare policies that governments plan to implement based on this information will only be initiated in 2028, after the census is completed. The benefit of a nationwide caste census will be that the backward and disadvantaged sections of society are properly addressed, and specific programs and plans can be developed for their development. We also believe that a public awareness campaign should be launched before 2028, which will provide a collective coordination for the development of the entire country, ensuring that there is no room for confusion during the census.