The Directorate of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, on Thursday convened a strategic coordination meeting with nodal officers of the Defence forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other organisations to finalise preparations for population enumeration in Special Charges in the snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
The enumeration is scheduled to be conducted from September 1 to 30, 2026, as part of Phase-II of Census 2027. The meeting was chaired by Amit Sharma, IAS, Chief Principal Census Officer and Director, Census Operations, J&K and Ladakh.
The meeting focused on ensuring complete, secure and accurate enumeration of all eligible personnel and members residing in Special Charges, which include Defence and CAPF establishments, training centres, research institutions and other restricted-access locations where civilian Census functionaries may not have access.
Representatives of the CISF, ITBP, CRPF, Assam Rifles, Railway Board, Air Force, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), BSF and SSB from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh participated in the meeting.
Addressing the participants, Sharma said Census 2027 would be India’s first census to be conducted digitally, while the population enumeration exercise in Special Charges had been structured to meet the security and operational requirements of such establishments.
He said the Directorate’s objective was to ensure that every eligible person was counted accurately, irrespective of the nature or location of the establishment, while maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality and security.
Sharma explained that Census Charge Officers, Enumerators and Supervisors for Special Charges would be appointed from among officers and personnel of the respective establishments. The nodal officers of individual forces and organisations would coordinate with the Directorate for the appointment of Census functionaries, training, provision of Census material and timely completion of the enumeration.
The population enumeration will cover questions relating to basic information, demographic and social characteristics, language, education, economic activity, migration, fertility and other particulars. Certain questions concerning economic activity and migration will follow specific provisions applicable to Defence and CAPF personnel.
Detailed training will be provided to Special Charge Officers, Enumerators and Supervisors to ensure a uniform understanding of Census concepts, definitions and procedures.
The meeting placed particular emphasis on training and standardisation. Training for nodal officers, Charge Officers, Enumerators and Supervisors deployed in Special Charges in snow-bound areas is scheduled to be conducted shortly.
The Directorate will provide the necessary instruction manuals and Census material, while the respective nodal officers and Special Charge Officers will facilitate training and field arrangements in coordination with Census authorities.
The participants also reviewed arrangements for supervision, data entry, secure handling and transfer of Census material, appointment of Census functionaries and coordination mechanisms required to complete the exercise within the prescribed timeframe.
Sharma said the September enumeration was particularly significant for snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh, where population enumeration is being undertaken ahead of the main national enumeration schedule due to the region’s distinctive climatic and geographical conditions.
He stressed that close coordination between the Census Directorate, Defence forces, CAPFs and other specialised organisations would be critical to ensuring complete Census coverage.
The Chief Principal Census Officer expressed confidence that the coordination established with the participating organisations would facilitate smooth, secure and comprehensive population enumeration across all Special Charges, contributing to the successful conduct of Phase-II of Census 2027 in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
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