40‑Question Census Questionnaire Includes Caste for First Time

The 2027 Census questionnaire released for Jammu‑Kashmir and Ladakh consists of about 40 items. Apart from standard demographic queries, the form now asks respondents to indicate their caste, a new addition aimed at enriching policy‑relevant data. Other sections probe fertility rates, occupation types, education levels and household characteristics. All questions can be answered online through the self‑enumeration portal that runs from 17 August to 31 August. Officials say the expanded questionnaire will help produce a more granular picture of the population across the two Union Territories.