India, Aug. 17 -- India's next Census will be different from the last one in 2011 in several important ways. Caste will be recorded for the first time in the Census since Independence, data collection will be primarily digital, and people will have the option of submitting their information themselves online.

The Population Enumeration phase will also have a new set of questions covering areas such as caste, identity documents, bank accounts and COVID-19 vaccination. The changes come after the 2021 Census was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Census 2027 will be India's 16th Census in the series since 1872 and the eighth since Independence.

The exercise will be conducted in two phases. The first is the Houselisting operation, whic...