The Union Home Ministry on Monday issued the official notification for conducting the population census in the country. The Census, which will also include humongous data collection, including the caste details, will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will cover the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and two hilly states — Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand — beginning on October 1, 2026. The second phase will kick off on March 1, 2027.