Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 17 

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday completed his self-enumeration as part of India’s upcoming Census 2027 exercise, marking the start of House Listing and Housing Census operations in the federally administered territory.

LG Sinha said Census 2027 carried “historic significance” as India’s first fully digital and paperless census integrating advanced digital technologies, mobile-based data collection systems and self-enumeration mechanisms.

He said the exercise was aimed at ensuring greater efficiency, transparency, accuracy and real-time monitoring.

“Census 2027 carries special significance for J&K in view of urban expansion, migration trends, expansion of municipal jurisdictions and evolving developmental priorities,” the LG said.

According to officials, the self-enumeration process will remain open from May 17 to May 31, allowing households to digitally submit information related to housing conditions, household assets, sanitation, drinking water, construction type, electricity, communication and internet access.

The second phase of the census, involving population enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027 in most areas, while surveys in snow-bound and non-synchronous regions of Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted separately under notified timelines and logistical arrangements.

Officials said the population enumeration phase would gather demographic and socio-economic data, including information related to age, gender, literacy, occupation, migration, marital status, disability and fertility.

Authorities said more than 27,000 field personnel, including enumerators and supervisors, were being deployed across Jammu and Kashmir and integrated through the Census Management and Monitoring System.

QR-coded appointment letters and identity cards were also being generated digitally, officials said.

A multi-tier training programme had been established for census staff, covering field protocols, use of mobile applications, digital data capture, facilitation of self-enumeration and confidentiality procedures.

Special operational planning was under way for remote, hilly and snow-bound areas to ensure timely completion of census activities under difficult geographical and climatic conditions, officials added.

Authorities also said a multi-layered digital security system, including end-to-end encryption and protected storage infrastructure, had been established to safeguard census data at all stages of collection and processing in Jammu and Kashmir.