House Listing Operations slated for June 2026; first-ever fully digital census to feature self-enumeration and caste count
Jammu Tawi, January 20:
In a major step towards preparations for Census 2027, a Union Territory-level Census Coordination Committee meeting was held here today under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo.
The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary (Planning), Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners of all districts, senior officers of the UT Administration, and officials of the Directorate of Census Operations.
The Chief Secretary emphasised the need for close coordination between the UT Administration and the Census Directorate and directed all Deputy Commissioners to extend full cooperation to ensure the smooth, accurate and timely conduct of Census operations. He assured complete support of the UT Government for the successful conduct of Census 2027.
A key decision during the meeting related to the Census schedule. It was decided that House Listing Operations (HLO) will be conducted across the Union Territory from June 1 to June 30, 2026, with self-enumeration commencing 15 days prior to the HLO. The UT Government will issue the required notification by January 31, 2026. To facilitate hassle-free self-enumeration, services of Technical Assistants and Charge Officials will be utilised to guide the public during the 15-day period.
Director Census Operations, J&K and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, made a detailed presentation outlining the framework and salient features of Census 2027, which will be India’s first fully digital Census. The presentation highlighted major innovations such as the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS), the provision for self-enumeration by citizens, and caste enumeration—being introduced for the first time. The sequence of Census activities, including training, self-enumeration, house listing and population enumeration, along with detailed timelines, was also explained.
To ensure accuracy and uniformity of Census data, the Additional Chief Secretary (Planning) was tasked with coordinating with concerned Administrative Secretaries for the examination and finalisation of figures related to villages, tehsils and other administrative units. The Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, was directed to ensure timely finalisation and communication of slum area details to the Census Directorate.
Stressing the importance of strong field-level execution, the meeting approved the expeditious hiring of manpower for Census 2027 at the UT, district and charge levels. Deputy Commissioners were instructed to constitute District-level Census Cells and nominate suitable officers for coordination, training and supervision, besides ensuring timely identification of master trainers, supervisors and enumerators.
The meeting also discussed strengthening public awareness and outreach. In this regard, the Director Census Operations proposed seeking support from Jammu & Kashmir Bank for publicity and awareness campaigns through pamphlets, posters, hoardings and other communication platforms to encourage maximum citizen participation in the Census exercise.
