SRINAGAR: The Training Programme for Master Trainers on Houselisting and Housing Census (Phase-I) under Census 2027 commenced on Tuesday at the Jammu and Kashmir Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD), Main Campus, MA Road, Srinagar.
The programme is being conducted in collaboration with the Directorate of Census Operations, JK, and the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Government of India.
The four-day training, scheduled from April 15 to April 18, is being attended by around 34 Master Trainers from various districts of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. These trainers will further cascade the training at the district level to field trainers, enumerators, and supervisors to ensure effective execution of Census operations across the region.
In his inaugural address, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Course Coordinator, underlined the importance of the Census as the most comprehensive source of demographic, social, and economic data. He said the exercise plays a key role in evidence-based policymaking, governance, and planning, besides supporting constitutional processes such as delimitation and reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Welcoming the participants, he appreciated their role in ensuring accuracy and reliability in data collection.
Arun Kumar, Joint Chief Principal Census Officer and National Trainer, stressed that the quality and credibility of Census data depends significantly on the efficiency of Master Trainers. He urged participants to thoroughly study manuals and guidelines and effectively address field-level queries, noting that the Census remains the world’s largest enumeration exercise with wide significance for administrators, researchers, and policymakers.
Manmeet Singh Loomba, Deputy Chief Principal Census Officer and National Trainer, highlighted that the upcoming Census will introduce a major technological shift, with data collection being carried out digitally for the first time in its 150-year history through a dedicated mobile application. He said this advancement will improve accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness of data collection.
The programme marks an important step towards capacity building and preparedness for the successful conduct of Census 2027, aimed at ensuring a robust, transparent, and technology-driven enumeration process across Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh.
