Current Affairs Blog

Category	Key Details
Approval & Budget	Union Cabinet approved ₹11,718.24 crore for India's 16th Census (first fully digital).
Phases & Timeline	1. Houselisting & Housing Census: Apr-Sep 2026 2. Population Enumeration: Feb 2027 (Sep 2026 for snow-bound regions).
Legal Framework	Governed by Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990.
Workforce	30 lakh field workers, 3 million personnel (incl. supervisors). Generates 10.2 million man-days of employment.
Digital Innovations	1. Mobile app (Android/iOS) for data collection 2. Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) for real-time tracking 3. Self-enumeration option (first time) 4. Enhanced data security.
Key Features	- Caste enumeration (electronic collection) - Houselisting Block Creator for mapping - National awareness campaign.
Data Output	Machine-readable, village/ward-level insights on demographics, amenities, migration, etc.
Employment Impact	18,600 technical personnel deployed for 550 days; boosts digital skills.