New Delhi, March 30 -- India's Census 2027 is set to introduce notable social and technological changes, with newly released government FAQs clarifying that live-in couples may be treated as married if they consider their relationship a "stable union". The guidance, published on the official self-enumeration portal, signals a broader attempt to align data collection with evolving social realities while modernising the Census process.

Among the most closely watched clarifications is the treatment of live-in relationships within household data.

"Will a couple in a live-in relationship be considered a married couple? If they consider their relationship as a stable union, they should be treated as a married couple," the FAQ states.

The mov...