Digital Census, Coal Reform, Farmer Aid: Cabinet’s Triple Push
VINOD BHAT
NEW DELHI, Dec 12: In a comprehensive set of national policy moves, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, convened on Friday, December 12, 2025, and approved three distinct yet far-reaching decisions: a massive ₹11,718 crore budget for the landmark 2027 Census; a fundamental reform in the nation’s coal linkage policy named CoalSETU; and a significant increase in the Minimum Support Price for Copra for the 2026 season. These approvals mark a substantial commitment to data-driven governance, energy self-sufficiency, and agricultural prosperity.
A Deep Dive into Census 2027: A Digital and Demographic Milestone
The Cabinet sanctioned a detailed budgetary outlay of ₹11,718 crore for the upcoming 16th Census of India, which will also be the 8th conducted since the nation’s independence. This financial approval sets in motion the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world, which operates as a Union subject under the legal framework of the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990. The last census was completed in 2011, with the 2021 iteration postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The formal process was initiated earlier this year with a Gazette Notification issued on 16th June 2025.
The census will capture a national snapshot at the precise reference moment of 00:00 hours on 1st March 2027. For snow-bound regions, this reference date is advanced to 00:00 hours on 1st October 2026. The exercise will be rolled out in two meticulously planned phases. The first phase, the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), is scheduled from April to September 2026. During this 30-day period, to be chosen individually by each State and Union Territory, data will be collected on housing conditions and the amenities available to households.
The second and primary phase, the Population Enumeration (PE), will be conducted across the country in February 2027, followed by a critical revisional round from 1st to 5th March 2027. In snow-bound areas, this enumeration will occur earlier, in September 2026, with its revisional round from 1st to 5th October 2026. This phase is the core of the census, gathering exhaustive data on a wide array of demographic, socio-cultural, and economic parameters. This includes detailed information on age, gender, educational status, religion, mother tongue, languages known, disability, social status, caste, occupation, migration patterns, and fertility.
Census 2027 is distinguished by several groundbreaking new initiatives that will modernize the entire process. It will be the nation’s first-ever digital census, with data collected primarily through mobile applications available in Hindi, English, and regional languages—a move designed to ensure better quality and accuracy of data. The operation will be managed through a sophisticated Census Monitoring and Management System (CMMS) portal. A dedicated Houselisting Block (HLB) Creator web map application will enable the geo-tagging of landmarks and the precise digital demarcation of boundaries for each enumeration block. Robust security features have been provisioned to safeguard this mammoth digital undertaking.
In a decision of profound social and policy significance, caste enumeration will be included in Census 2027, providing fresh and crucial data for analysis and planning. Furthermore, an option for self-enumeration will be provided to citizens, offering greater convenience and participation. The government will also implement Census-as-a-Service (CaaS), a platform to deliver on-demand data to various Ministries, State Governments, and other stakeholders in a user-friendly, machine-readable, and actionable format, complete with analytical dashboards. A focused and wider publicity campaign is planned to ensure nationwide awareness, inclusive participation, and last-mile engagement to support field operations. This colossal exercise is projected to involve about 30 lakh field functionaries and generate an estimated 1.02 crore human-days of employment.
The importance of the census cannot be overstated. It serves as the critical input for planning, formulation of policies, and effective public administration. The data forms the basis for the delimitation and reservation of constituencies for Parliamentary, Assembly, Panchayat, and other Local Body elections—a statutory obligation under constitutional provisions. It also acts as an essential repository of data for researchers across demography, economics, anthropology, sociology, and statistics.
CoalSETU: A Strategic Bridge to Energy Self-Reliance
In a major reform aimed at consolidating India’s energy security, the Cabinet approved the creation of CoalSETU (Coal Linkages for Seamless, Efficient and Transparent Utilization), a new window under the existing Coal (Non-Regulated Sector) Linkage Policy of 2016. This reform comes at a time when India is decisively moving towards Atmanirbharata (self-reliance) in coal. The launch of commercial mining in 2020 has significantly improved domestic availability, with the country crossing the landmark of 1 billion tonnes of coal production in a single year for the first time in 2024-25, reaching a total of 1.048 billion tonnes. Consequently, coal imports as a percentage of consumption have been consistently reducing, with imports in 2024-25 dropping by 7.9%, resulting in foreign exchange savings of approximately ₹60,700 crore. A strengthened rail-coal partnership transported 823 million tonnes last year, and coal stocks at domestic power plants are at a record high.
The new CoalSETU policy introduces transformative features. Any domestic buyer can now participate in the linkage auctions, and the coal procured can be used without end-use restrictions—for own consumption, export (up to 50% of the allotted quantity), or for purposes such as coal washing. The fuel supply agreements can extend to a maximum of 15 years, and the policy allows for flexible use of coal linkages amongst group companies. To prevent market distortion, traders will not be permitted to participate. Importantly, the policy ensures no adverse impact on existing specified end-users like Cement and Steel sectors, who can also participate in the new window.
A key strategic element of CoalSETU is that coking coal shall not be offered under this window due to its limited domestic availability. Instead, the policy emphasizes linkages for washing coal, which requires significant capital investment and assured supply. This focus is designed to ensure the availability of washed coal within the country, thereby improving domestic availability of quality coal, reducing import dependence, and even allowing for the export of washed coal. The reform is expected to improve the utilization of coal, enhance sectoral efficiency, protect existing industries, strengthen the nation’s trade balance, and fortify overall energy security.
Securing Prosperity for Coconut Farmers: Enhanced MSP for Copra 2026
In a decisive move for agricultural welfare, the Cabinet approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) copra for the 2026 season. India is a global leader in copra production, contributing nearly 30% of total global output, with major producing states being Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The MSP is fixed on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and serves as a vital safety net for farmers.
For the 2026 season, the Cabinet has set the MSP for milling copra at ₹12,027 per quintal, which is 50% more than its calculated cost of ₹5,250 per quintal. The MSP for ball copra has been set at ₹12,500 per quintal, also representing a 50% return over its cost of ₹5,500 per quintal. The procurement operations will be undertaken by the Central Nodal Agencies—the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF). State agencies will also be suitably engaged in the procurement process.
This higher MSP is designed to ensure better remunerative returns to coconut growers and incentivize farmers to expand copra production to meet the growing domestic and global demand for coconut products, thereby strengthening the economic viability of coconut cultivation across the country.
