Home Ministry Debunks Opposition's Caste Census Claims, Clarifies Two-Phase Plan

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) refuted opposition allegations regarding the caste census, stating they are spreading confusion.
• MHA clarified that details of Census-2027, including caste enumeration, were released via a press note on December 12, 2025.
• Census-2027 will be conducted in two phases: houselisting (April-September 2026) and population enumeration with caste data (February 2027).
• The Union Cabinet approved Census 2027 with a budget of Rs 11,718.24 crore, and caste enumeration was decided on April 30, 2025.
• This will be India's first digital census, using a mobile app for data collection and offering a 'self-enumerate' option.

Why It Matters: MHA clarified the two-phase digital Census-2027 plan, including caste enumeration, countering opposition's misinformation.