SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir will begin the first phase of Census 2027 from June 1, with authorities preparing for the country’s first fully digital census exercise, officials said on Monday.
According to details shared by Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan in New Delhi, the Union Territory will undertake the Houselisting and Housing Census from June 1 to June 30, 2026, preceded by a self-enumeration window from May 17 to May 31. However, in snow-bound and non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the reference date for the census has been advanced to October 1, 2026, with population enumeration scheduled earlier than the rest of the country to account for climatic constraints.
Census 2027 will mark a significant shift in methodology, with enumerators using mobile applications to collect data, replacing traditional paper-based methods, while for the first time residents will also have the option of self-enumeration through an online portal. Officials said households in Jammu and Kashmir can log in using a mobile number, fill in details online and generate a unique Self-Enumeration ID, which must be shared with enumerators during field visits, a system aimed at improving accuracy and reducing field workload.
The census will be conducted in two phases, with the first phase in June 2026 in Jammu and Kashmir focusing on collection of data on housing conditions, amenities and household assets, while the second phase, to be conducted in September 2026 in snow-bound areas, will cover population enumeration including demographic, socio-economic, education, migration and fertility details, along with enumeration of castes. The exercise will be conducted under the Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990, and will be the 16th census in India’s history and the eighth since Independence, with the last census conducted in 2011.
Officials said all administrative boundaries have been frozen from January 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, to facilitate the exercise, while a large-scale training programme is underway with lakhs of enumerators and supervisors to be deployed. In Jammu and Kashmir, field-level staff will be trained in regional languages to ensure accurate data collection, particularly in remote and difficult terrains, supported by digital infrastructure including web-based mapping applications and real-time monitoring systems, with safeguards in place to ensure data security.
Authorities indicated that logistical planning in Jammu and Kashmir is being aligned with seasonal accessibility, especially in higher-altitude regions, and the staggered schedule for snow-bound areas is intended to ensure complete coverage without disruptions due to weather conditions. A pre-test of the census methodology was conducted in November 2025 across the country, including selected blocks in Jammu and Kashmir, to assess readiness of digital systems and field operations.
The Union Government has approved an outlay of Rs 11,718.24 crore for Census 2027, covering training, IT infrastructure, logistics and honorarium for field staff, with officials stating that the introduction of digital tools and self-enumeration is expected to improve efficiency, reduce errors and enable near real-time monitoring of the exercise.
With a gap of 16 years since the last census, authorities said the upcoming exercise will provide crucial updated data for policy planning, welfare schemes and administrative decision-making in Jammu and Kashmir and across the country, urging residents to cooperate with enumerators and make use of the self-enumeration facility where possible to ensure accurate and timely completion of the exercise.
