UDHAMPUR: Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director, Directorate of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, today launched Population Enumeration (Phase-II) of Census 2027 for the snow-bound areas of the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The field operations were formally launched from the remote, snow-bound areas of Dudu and Basantgarh in Udhampur district.
The September enumeration marks a significant operational milestone for Census 2027, as the Census machinery moves to the actual enumeration of the population, with special arrangements in place to ensure comprehensive coverage of remote, high-altitude and difficult-to-access areas.
Amit Sharma said the commencement of Population Enumeration from Dudu and Basantgarh carries particular significance as it reflects the Directorate's commitment to take the Census to every part of the Union Territories, including areas where terrain, distance and weather pose formidable challenges. He said extensive preparations involving Enumeration Block demarcation, mapping, logistics, training and deployment of field functionaries have been undertaken to ensure that every household and resident is covered.
He highlighted that during the Self-Enumeration phase for Population Enumeration in snow-bound areas, conducted from August 17 to 31, 2026, the UT of Jammu & Kashmir emerged as the top-performing State/UT among all States and Union Territories covered under the September 2026 schedule, recording the highest number of Self-Enumeration submissions.
The exercise provided residents an opportunity to participate directly in the digital Census process. During this phase, Jammu & Kashmir recorded 9,672 Self-Enumeration submissions. The response was particularly encouraging in several districts, with Pulwama recording 3,204, Kishtwar 2,231, Doda 1,169, Ramban 629, Poonch 569 and Kulgam 554 submissions. In Ladakh, 527 households completed Self-Enumeration, including 301 in Kargil and 226 in Leh. Thus, a combined 10,199 households across the two Union Territories participated through Self-Enumeration ahead of the field phase.
Amit Sharma appreciated the strong public response, stating that it demonstrates growing acceptance of the digital Census process and provides a strong foundation for the successful conduct of Population Enumeration. He urged all the residents to extend similar cooperation to Enumerators and Supervisors and ensure that their households and eligible family members are accurately covered.
Prem Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Darshan Kumar, District Statistics and Evaluation Officer from the Deputy Commissioner Office, Udhampur, besides Manmeet Singh Loomba, Deputy Chief Principal Census Officer, Balbir Singh and Nimrat Kour, Assistant Chief Principal Census Officers, and Ajit Raj, District Coordinator for Udhampur District from the Directorate of Census Operations, accompanied the CPCO.
Population Enumeration in the snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir covers 16 districts and 95 Charges, with an estimated 4,146 Enumeration Blocks being formed. These included Poonch, Kathua, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Reasi, Kupwara, Budgam, Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag and Kulgam. In Ladakh, the entire Union Territory is being enumerated during September through an estimated 637 Enumeration Blocks, making it the first Union Territory to be completely enumerated during Phase-II of Census 2027.
A significant component of the September exercise will be the enumeration of the houseless population, which will also be covered during this phase. The Directorate has made necessary arrangements to ensure that such population groups are appropriately identified and included. The exercise will also include enumeration of Special Charges, including Defence and Central Armed Police Forces establishments and other restricted-access locations, in coordination with the concerned authorities.
Following completion of field enumeration, a Revision Round will be conducted from October 1 to 5, 2026 to review coverage and incorporate eligible changes arising within the prescribed period. This will provide an additional layer of field verification and help ensure that Population Enumeration is as complete and accurate as possible.
The second phase was preceded by a structured training cascade covering Master Trainers, Field Trainers and subsequently Enumerators and Supervisors, with emphasis on Census concepts, definitions, field procedures and digital tools. The Nodal Officers and District Coordinators have also been deployed to coordinate field preparations, Enumeration Block demarcation, distribution of Census kits and availability of manuals and other operational material.
