NEW DELHI: Population data returned by the upcoming ‘Census 2027’, due to begin on April 1, 2026, will pave the way for a countrywide delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies, as the March 1, 2027 reference date makes it “the first Census to be held after 2026”.However, the chances of delimitation being completed in time for the 2029 general election appear bleak, given that the final population data may take time to be published. The final population data for Census 2011 was published almost two years after release of the provisional data in March-end 2011. Even with a ‘digital’ Census – which is expected to facilitate early release of tables – there may be a considerable time lag between completion of the exercise in March 2027 and availability of the final population count to enable initiation of the delimitation process.The home ministry on Thursday took to X to explain the delay in conducting the Census, put on hold five years ago due to the Covid outbreak, stating that hiring lakhs of school teachers as enumerators would have immensely disrupted primary education already hit by the pandemic.
