India, April 1 -- India has officially begun its long-awaited national census after a delay of more than a decade, marking the start of what officials describe as the world's largest population exercise.

The government launched Census 2027 Phase 1 on April 1, 2026, covering all states and Union Territories across the country. This phase focuses on house listing and housing data collection, which will continue until September 30, 2026.

Officials say the latest census introduces several major changes, including digital data collection and self-enumeration for citizens. This marks the first fully digital census in India's history, with enumerators using mobile applications to collect household details.

The census also carries historical i...