As part of preparations for Census 2027, the Government of India unveiled digital mascots 'Pragati' (female) and 'Vikas' (male) on March 5, 2026, along with a Self-Enumeration Portal enabling citizens to submit their household data online for the first time in India's census history. The census will be conducted in two phases: Phase 1 (House Listing) from April to September 2026, and Phase 2 (Population Enumeration) in February 2027.

India's decennial census was last conducted in 2011; the 2021 census was postponed due to COVID-19 and other logistical challenges, making 2027 a critical data-gathering exercise for policy planning. The digital-first approach — including mobile-based data collection, GPS geotagging of buildings, and multilingual enumeration — marks a transformational shift from the traditional paper-based census methodology.

Census data provides the empirical foundation for delimitation of parliamentary and state assembly constituencies, allocation of central government funds to states, planning of welfare schemes, and reservation policies. For Rajasthan, the 2027 census will provide updated data on the state's tribal population, urban migration patterns, sex ratio, and literacy — all of which are key inputs for RAS Paper-III topics on public administration and social welfare.