The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, approved three significant proposals, including the long-awaited roadmap for the national census. The government has sanctioned a budget of ₹11,718.24 crore for Census 2027, marking a shift towards a modernized enumeration process.
Briefing the media on the Cabinet decisions, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the upcoming exercise will be India’s first digital census. The government has emphasized that the digital architecture is designed with a strong focus on data security.
First Digital Census Timeline
The census process is scheduled to be conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase, involving house listing and housing census, will run from April to September 2026. The second phase, which involves the actual population enumeration, is slated for February 2027.
This move is expected to streamline data collection and analysis, replacing traditional paper-based methods with secure digital tools.
Green signal for CoalSETU
In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the ‘CoalSETU’ initiative. Highlighting India’s strides in the energy sector, the government noted that the country is moving rapidly towards self-reliance in coal production.
India achieved a historic milestone in the 2024-2025 period by producing over one billion tonnes of coal. This surge in domestic output has drastically reduced the nation’s dependence on coal imports. According to the government, this reduction in imports has resulted in savings of approximately ₹60,000 crore.
Hike in Copra MSP
The Cabinet also addressed the agricultural sector by approving the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for copra for the 2026 season. This decision is aimed at supporting coconut farmers across the country.
The MSP for milling copra has been increased by approximately ₹445 per quintal. Similarly, the support price for ball copra has seen a hike of about ₹400 per quintal. These measures are expected to ensure remunerative prices for growers and stabilize the market for coconut produce.
Cabinet Briefing by Union Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw https://t.co/kXDBw0hbmq
— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) December 12, 2025
