The Centre has finally broken its prolonged silence on the next national census by announcing that the exercise will be completed by March 2027. While this sets a broad timeline, the exact dates will become clear only when the notification under the Census Act of 1948 is issued by the middle of this month. This will be the first census in 16 years—a glaring delay given that such a crucial exercise is mandated to be decennial.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic offered a temporary justification, it hardly explains the years of administrative inertia that followed. The upcoming census will be significant for several reasons. Most notably, it will be digital, employing the latest technological tools for faster........

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