Census Commissioner Reviews Ladakh Enumeration as First Phase Nears Close

Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan has completed a four-day visit to Ladakh to review the Population Enumeration (PE) phase of Census 2027, with attention centred on coverage in remote and snow-bound areas, the performance of the Census mobile application and the readiness of field staff.

Ladakh is the first State or Union Territory where the second phase of the Census is being carried out, ahead of the rest of the country. The PE phase uses a set of 40 questions, and an enumerator spends an average of 30 to 60 minutes in each household recording details on the application developed for the exercise. The phase is scheduled to conclude by September 30.

The questionnaire for the PE phase adds 13 new questions or data fields to the 29 used in Census 2011. The additions include the spouse's name, nationality, particulars of the father and mother, digital literacy, permanent residential address, place of COVID-19 vaccination, number of bank accounts, passport number, driving licence availability and mobile, Aadhaar and voter ID numbers, where available.

Mr. Narayan was accompanied by Amit Sharma, Chief Principal Census Officer and Director of Census Operations for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The two held a series of review meetings with the Union Territory administration, district officials, Charge Officers and field functionaries involved in the exercise.

At a review meeting in Leh with Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, the Census Commissioner assessed the progress of enumeration and the preparedness of the field machinery. Officials examined arrangements for covering civilian areas as well as Special Charges, which comprise defence establishments.

The status of enumeration in Special Charges was also reviewed with nodal and Charge Officers representing the Air Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Border Roads Organisation. The discussions focused on field preparedness and coordination mechanisms for covering these establishments.

In Kargil district, the Census Commissioner reviewed the exercise during a visit to Zanskar and interacted with enumerators and supervisors working in the field, seeking feedback on operational challenges and the support needed to complete the exercise.

Field inspections covered remote and snow-bound locations, including Nubra, Chumathang and Chushul in Nyoma. During interactions with enumerators and supervisors, Mr. Narayan assessed how enumeration was being conducted in difficult geographical conditions and reviewed the implementation of Census procedures on the ground.

The field visits also examined the performance of the mobile application used for digital data collection. Enumerators and supervisors described their experience of using the application in remote areas and flagged practical difficulties along with suggestions for improvement. Census authorities assured field staff that the suggestions would be examined and incorporated into future refinements of the application.

Officials said the feedback mechanism would help connect field-level experience with technological improvements as preparations continue for later phases of the Census.

Ladakh carries particular significance in Census 2027, with the entire Union Territory to be covered for Population Enumeration during September 2026 across an estimated 637 Enumeration Blocks. The exercise follows the completion of House Listing Operations covering 579 house-listing blocks across 17 Charges.