2027 Population Census Sparks Fresh Debate Over Delimitation Process
The various processes involved in the exercise and the steps that will come next raises questions on the possibility that this will be completed prior to this year's Lok Sabha elections in 2029.
The announcement on Wednesday of the decision to conduct the population Census 2027 over two years and also to conduct an castinge enumeration has opened the discussion on delimitation particularly in the southern states and including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin seeking an explanation to the Centre and accusing it of putting off the head count in order to cut down on the state's representation in parliament.
The various processes of the exercise and what is to be the next steps put a doubt mark on whether this exercise can be completed prior to when the next census and elections in 2029.
Stalin in a blog post on X Stalin, in a post on X "Fair Delimitation" and said, "The Indian Constitution mandates that India delimitation debate takes place following the first Census following 2026. It appears that the BJP have put off the Census to 2027, thereby making their intentions clear to cut down on Tamil Nadu's Parliamentary representation. I warned against this. The situation is unfolding... It is now happening. want clarified responses by Government officials from the Union Government."
Stalin had previously urged Stalin had earlier asked the Centre to expand the delimitation timeline India based on the census of 1971 framework by 30 years, beyond the year 2026. According to Stalin, the "status quo should continue for at least three decades" and up to 2056, Stalin had stated.
The Congress On contrary, walked carefully. "There is no need not to postpone the Census 2027 impact which was scheduled for 2021 for an additional twenty-three months. The Modi Government can only be capable of making headlines and not meeting dates," the party's communication chief Jairam Ramesh stated.
In the announcement of the Ministry of Home Affairs, "the reference date for Population Census-2027 will be 00:00 hours of the first day of March, 2027".
Sources say the Census enrollment could only take 21 days. The census is expected to be completed in February 2027. The final report is expected to be released within the coming months.
