Census 2027 population count begins in J&K, Ladakh: Here's what we know

Self-enumeration to run till August 31, followed by door-to-door population count in September; exercise brought forward to cover remote areas before winter

The second phase of Census 2027, involving population enumeration, began on Monday with self-enumeration in the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The exercise is being brought forward in these regions to ensure that remote and mountainous areas are covered before harsh winter conditions make access difficult.

 

Residents in the identified areas can submit their details online from August 17 to August 31. This will be followed by door-to-door population enumeration by trained officials from September 1 to 30. The rest of the country is scheduled to undergo population enumeration in February 2027.

 

 

Amit Sharma, Chief Principal Census Officer and Director of Census Operations for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, told news agency PTI that the population enumeration was the most important round of the Census as it would provide the country's complete population figures and other demographic parameters.

 

“Self-enumeration for Census 2027 will begin on August 17 in identified snowbound areas of Jammu & Kashmir and across Ladakh, and continue till August 31,” Sharma said.

 

In Jammu and Kashmir, 16 of the Union Territory's 20 districts have been identified as partially snow-bound for the exercise. The self-enumeration facility will be available only in these snow-bound areas, while the entire Union Territory of Ladakh has been included for this phase.

 

The exercise covers about 40 questions on demographic details, fertility, occupation and other socio-economic parameters. It will also include a caste question, making this the first Census since Independence to collect caste data in this manner.

 

The caste question is listed as question number 10 and asks respondents to state their Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or caste. Officials will record the caste as declared by the respondent rather than requiring it to be matched against a pre-defined list, according to the source material.

 

The population enumeration is being conducted digitally, with residents able to enter household details through the self-enumeration portal before an enumerator visits them for verification. In Himachal Pradesh, officials said respondents would receive a self-enumeration ID after submitting their details, which can be shared with census officials during field verification.

Why the early enumeration

The advance exercise is primarily aimed at reaching communities in areas that become difficult to access during winter. In Himachal Pradesh, around 6,903 snow-bound villages and areas have been identified for early enumeration, particularly in Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Pangi-Bharmour in Chamba. The reference date for these areas is October 1, 2026.

 

The challenges range from poor road connectivity to settlements at high altitudes. In Ladakh, for instance, Yingchen village in Leh has only 11 residents from two families and is around seven hours on foot from the nearest hamlet. Hanle in Changthang is located at an altitude of around 15,000 feet.

 

Sharma said special arrangements had been made to cover difficult terrain and remote settlements, including areas where military and paramilitary personnel are stationed. “Even if there is one family in a remote village atop difficult terrain, our officials will go and record their data,” he told Hindustan Times.

Questions beyond the 2011 Census

The 2027 Census will ask 40 questions, 11 more than the 2011 exercise. Besides caste, the additional questions cover parental details, passports, Aadhaar, voter ID and mobile number, driving licence, Covid-19 vaccination details and permanent residential address. The inclusion of some of these questions has also raised privacy concerns.

 

The self-enumeration facility is part of the government's shift towards a digital Census. Officials said allowing households to enter their information before the field visit could reduce the time required for door-to-door enumeration and improve data collection efficiency.

 

Special establishments in Ladakh, including the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Air Force, will also be covered during the population enumeration phase. These establishments were not required to be covered during the earlier house-listing exercise.

 

The Census, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Census 2027 will be India's 16th Census and the eighth since Independence. Once completed, it will provide the first comprehensive population dataset in more than a decade, including information on caste, education, employment, migration and other socio-economic characteristics.

 

(With inputs from PTI)