This April 1, India is embarking on a monumental administrative project. To identify 1.4 billion inhabitants, more than 3 million agents are mobilized, a human force equivalent to the population of the city of Madrid, says RFI correspondent in New Delhi, Abdoollah Earally.
A census in two stages
This census on Indian territory (India is made up of 28 States and 8 Union Territories, for a total of 36 administrative entities) will last until next year, in two stages. This Wednesday morning, the housing inventory was launched. The population count is planned for next year, from March 1, 2027 for most of the population, from October 1, 2026 in the Himalayan regions, before the arrival of the snow.
This 16th census breaks with tradition. It reintroduced the counting of castes, a first since 1931. The caste system, stemming from Hindu tradition, still deeply structures Indian society and generates discrimination and inequalities. More than two-thirds of the population belong to lower castes, which gives them access to affirmative action policies in public service and education. A sensitive and controversial subject, this count is considered necessary by the authorities to better target social programs. The last official caste census dates back to 1931, under British rule. Since independence, successive governments have avoided creating a new one, citing administrative complexity or fear of social tensions.
Major electoral and economic issues
The issue is also electoral: the figures will be used to redraw the political map of the country. The northern states, more populous and strongholds of the ruling party, Narendra Modi’s BJP, could obtain more seats in Parliament to the detriment of the South.
Finally, fundamentally this census will determine the strategic development plan of this country which presents itself as the 4th economy in the world. The last such exercise, completed in 2011, stopped the population at 1.21 billion. Since then, the United Nations has estimated it in 2023 at 1.42 billion, placing India ahead of China in the world rankings.
