After a four-year delay, the decadal census and the work to update the National Population Register (NPR) is speculated to begin in 2025, with the data being declared by 2026. The delay is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 resulting in a change of census cycles in the future as well. Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, currently serving as the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, has also seen an extension in his tenure till August 2026. Speculations have arisen with no confirmation about a caste census along with the general census, as per the PRI report.
Talks about the delimination exercise to restructure constituencies have surfaced again. According to the 84th Amendment in 2002, the exercise had to be carried out after the 2031 census as it would have been the first census after 2026. However, the delay has contributed to a possible preponing of delimination right after the 2025 census. Southern India's population control efforts may lead to reduced Lok Sabha representation compared to the North, and concerns are being raised.