Jammu/Leh: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Sunday formally began preparations for Census 2027 with Lieutenant Governors Manoj Sinha and Vinai Kumar Saxena launching the self-enumeration exercise and urging citizens to actively participate in what will be India’s first fully digital and paperless Census.
In Srinagar, Manoj Sinha completed his own self-enumeration, marking the beginning of the House Listing and Housing Census Operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Describing Census 2027 as a “historic exercise,” the Lieutenant Governor said the new system integrates advanced digital technologies, mobile-based data collection and self-enumeration mechanisms aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and real-time monitoring.
He said the Census carries special significance for Jammu and Kashmir in view of rapid urban expansion, migration patterns, changing municipal boundaries and evolving developmental priorities. According to the administration, the exercise is expected to generate detailed and reliable datasets for governance, welfare planning and infrastructure development.
The self-enumeration window will remain open from May 17 to May 31, 2026, allowing households to submit details digitally through the official Census portal. The first phase will collect information related to housing conditions, household assets, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, internet access, communication facilities and construction type.
Officials said the second phase involving Population Enumeration will be conducted in February 2027 in normal areas, while snow-bound and non-synchronous regions of Jammu and Kashmir will undergo enumeration in September 2027 under separate logistical arrangements.
Meanwhile in Leh, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena launched the Self-Enumeration Portal for Census 2027, calling upon residents to ensure active participation so that Ladakh’s “unique identity, aspirations and developmental needs” are accurately reflected in national data.
Saxena said Census 2027 would be the first Census exercise conducted in the Union Territory after Ladakh’s creation in 2019 and would provide a crucial opportunity to generate accurate socio-economic data for future policy planning and targeted development initiatives.
The Ladakh administration said House Listing Operations in the Union Territory will be conducted from June 1 to June 30, 2026, following the ongoing self-enumeration phase. Population Enumeration across Ladakh is scheduled for September 2026 along with other notified snow-bound regions.
Authorities said more than 27,000 enumerators and supervisors are being deployed across Jammu and Kashmir through the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS), with QR-coded appointment letters and identity cards being generated digitally. Multi-tier training programmes are also underway to train field staff in digital data collection, mobile applications, household engagement and confidentiality protocols.
Special operational planning has been initiated for remote, hilly and snow-bound regions across both Union Territories to ensure timely completion of the exercise under challenging geographical and climatic conditions.
