LEH: Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, IAS, undertook a comprehensive maiden visit in the Union Territory of Ladakh to review the progress of Population Enumeration under Census 2027. He was accompanied by Amit Sharma, IAS, Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director Census Operations (DCO), Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The visit covered review meetings with the UT and district administration, Special Charges and Census field functionaries, besides field visits to remote and snow-bound areas to assess the progress of enumeration on the ground.
During the review at Leh, Narayan held a meeting with Ashish Kundra, IAS, Chief Secretary, UT of Ladakh, and reviewed the overall progress of Population Enumeration and the preparedness of the field machinery. Amit Sharma briefed the Registrar General and Census Commissioner on the overall progress of Population Enumeration in Ladakh, including the arrangements for comprehensive coverage of civilian areas and Special Charges. The Directorate has been working in close coordination with the UT Administration, district authorities, Special Charges and field functionaries to ensure that the exercise proceeds in accordance with the prescribed Census schedule, guidelines and standards of data quality.
RG&CCI along with DCO also held a detailed review with Nodal Officers and Charge Officers of Special Charges, including the Air Force, CRPF, ITBP, CISF and BRO. The discussions focused on the progress of enumeration, field preparedness and the coordination mechanisms in place to ensure effective coverage of these strategically important establishments.
Narayan, along with CPCO Amit Sharma and entire team of Census functionaries subsequently reviewed the Census exercise with the District Administration of Kargil at Zanskar tour and interacted directly with Enumerators and Supervisors. The interaction provided an opportunity to assess the progress of Population Enumeration at the field level and to understand the practical experience of personnel engaged in the exercise. He sought detailed feedback on the operational aspects of enumeration, including the challenges encountered in the field and the support required by field functionaries to complete the exercise effectively.
A major component of the visit was the field assessment of Population Enumeration in snow-bound and remote areas of Ladakh. Narayan visited Nubra, Chumathang and Chushul in Nyoma, wherein he, along with CPCO Amit Sharma, reviewed the progress of fieldwork and interacted with Enumerators and Supervisors. The field visits enabled him to directly observe the conduct of enumeration in difficult geographical conditions and assess how the prescribed Census processes were being implemented on the ground. The interactions also provided field functionaries an opportunity to place their operational experiences and requirements directly before the senior-most Census authority.
During these interactions, Narayan specifically sought feedback on the functioning of the Census mobile application, which is being used for digital data collection. Enumerators and Supervisors shared their experience of using the application under actual field conditions and highlighted issues, practical difficulties and suggestions for improvement. Taking note of the feedback, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner along with CPCO Amit Sharma assured the field functionaries that their inputs would be examined and that necessary improvements would be incorporated into the application for forthcoming Census activities. The exercise thus established a direct feedback channel between field-level experience and the continued refinement of the technology supporting Census operations.
Ladakh has a distinctive significance in Census 2027, as the entire Union Territory is being covered for Population Enumeration during September 2026, with an estimated 637 Enumeration Blocks. This follows the completion of House Listing Operations covering 579 Houselisting Blocks across 17 Charges. The ongoing exercise is also the first Census exercise in Ladakh after its creation as a Union Territory in 2019, making the present enumeration an important opportunity to establish a comprehensive and contemporary statistical profile of the Union Territory.
During the field interactions, CPCO Amit Sharma also highlighted the importance of combining technology with continuous field feedback in a Census of this scale. While digital tools are enabling faster and more structured data collection, inputs from Enumerators and Supervisors working in diverse conditions remain critical for identifying practical issues and improving the systems supporting the Census exercise.
The four-day Ladakh visit of RG&CCI Narayan along with CPCO Amit Sharma and Census functionaries concluded after a comprehensive review of Census operations across administrative, institutional and field levels. The direct assessment of enumeration in civilian areas, Special Charges and remote locations, coupled with interaction with field functionaries, provided valuable feedback on the implementation of Population Enumeration and reinforced the focus on complete coverage, accurate data collection and responsive technological support for the ongoing Census 2027 exercise.
