Kashmir Impulse Desk

Jammu, May 16 

Jammu and Kashmir will begin the first phase of Census 2027 on May 17 with the launch of a digital self-enumeration facility, marking the start of India’s first fully paperless census exercise in the union territory.

The self-enumeration portal, se.census.gov.in, will open at 6 a.m. on May 17 and remain accessible until May 31, officials said.

The online facility will allow residents to submit their household and personal details digitally before the commencement of door-to-door House Listing Operations and Housing Census surveys scheduled from June 1 to June 30.

Officials described the self-enumeration process as a first-time feature and a major innovation in India’s census operations aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and accuracy in data collection.

Citizens have been advised to register on the portal using an active mobile number, complete household and individual details online, and retain the reference number generated after submission for future verification during field enumeration.

Chief Principal Census Officer and Director Census Operations for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, said the census reference date would be March 1, 2027, while snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the union territory of Ladakh would follow a separate schedule with October 1, 2026 as the reference date.

Officials said data collection in Jammu and Kashmir would be conducted through Android and iOS mobile applications available in English, Hindi and Urdu.

The second phase of the census, involving population enumeration including caste data collection, is scheduled for February 2027 in non-snow-bound areas, while snow-bound regions will be covered earlier under separate operational arrangements.

Around 28,000 enumerators and supervisors are expected to participate in census operations across Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Devansh Yadav, commissioner of the Jammu Municipal Corporation, said the census exercise was not linked to citizenship verification or legal residency status.

Officials also clarified that Census 2027 was distinct from the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission of India.

“The Census is a comprehensive national exercise for collection of demographic, socio-economic and housing data for policy planning and governance,” Sharma said earlier, referring to the provisions of the Census Act, 1948.

Authorities said all information collected during the census would remain confidential and would be used solely for statistical and policy planning purposes in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.