NEW DELHI : The next census of India will be carried out in 2021 with March 1 of that year as the reference date, the Home Ministry announced Thursday.

In a notification, the ministry said the decision has been taken by the central government under the powers conferred by section 3 of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948).

"The central government hereby declares that a census of the population of India shall be taken during the year 2021. The reference date for the census shall, except for the state of Jammu and Kashmir and snow bound non-synchronous areas of states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, be 00.00 hours of the first day of March, 2021," it said.

For Jammu and Kashmir and snow bound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be the first day of October, 2020, the notification said.

India's last census was carried out in 2011 when the country's population stood at 121 crore.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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