SRINAGAR: The House Listing and Housing Census operations for Census 2027 commenced in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha completing his self-enumeration at the start of the exercise.
According to an official statement, Census 2027 will be India’s first fully digital and paperless census, using mobile-based data collection systems, self-enumeration mechanisms and digital monitoring tools. The Lieutenant Governor said the exercise aims to improve efficiency, transparency, accuracy and real-time monitoring of census operations.
He said the census holds significance for Jammu and Kashmir in view of urban expansion, migration trends, expansion of municipal jurisdictions and changing developmental priorities. The exercise is expected to generate datasets for governance, welfare delivery and long-term planning.
The self-enumeration phase will be conducted from May 17 to May 31, 2026. During this period, information related to housing conditions and building infrastructure will be collected, including data on household assets, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, internet access, communication and transport facilities, and types of construction.
The second phase, Population Enumeration, will be conducted in February 2027 in normal areas. In snow-bound and non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the exercise will be carried out earlier under separate operational arrangements and logistics planning, according to notified timelines. The phase will collect demographic and socio-economic data, including information on age, gender, literacy, occupation, migration, marital status, disability and fertility.
Authorities said preparatory work has begun across the Union Territory in coordination with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. More than 27,000 field functionaries, including enumerators and supervisors, are being deployed across Jammu and Kashmir through the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS). QR-coded appointment letters and identity cards are also being generated through the platform.
A multi-tier training framework has been put in place for census personnel. Training programmes are being conducted in phases for enumerators and supervisors, focusing on census procedures, digital data collection systems, use of mobile applications, field protocols, self-enumeration facilitation and data confidentiality measures.
Special operational arrangements are also being planned for remote, hilly and snow-bound areas to ensure completion of census activities under challenging geographical and climatic conditions.
Officials said a digital security framework has been established for protection of census data during collection, transmission, storage and processing. Measures include encryption protocols, secure transmission systems, protected storage infrastructure, role-based access controls and certified data centres.
Authorities said the self-enumeration facility would allow households to submit census information digitally through a secure online portal during the notified period.
