Jammu, Oct 6: Population Enumeration for Census 2027 has been completed across the designated snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire Union Territory of Ladakh, covering 5,292 Enumeration Blocks, Chief Principal Census Officer and Director Census Operations, J&K and Ladakh, Amit Sharma said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Sharma said the exercise covered 4,597 Enumeration Blocks in J&K and 695 in Ladakh. The field operation in the designated snow-bound areas was conducted during September following the self-enumeration phase held from August 17 to 31.
In Ladakh, the entire Union Territory was covered during the September exercise, comprising 367 Enumeration Blocks in Leh and 328 in Kargil. With this, Ladakh has become the first Union Territory in the country to complete Population Enumeration for Census 2027.
In J&K, the snow-bound exercise covered 16 districts and 95 Charges. Kishtwar, which has been designated fully snow-bound, became the first district in the country to complete Population Enumeration for Census 2027.
Doda recorded the highest number of completed Enumeration Blocks in J&K at 798, followed by Kishtwar with 602, Ramban with 418, Anantnag with 377 and Baramulla with 359. Reasi completed 345 Enumeration Blocks, while Udhampur completed 313.
Sharma said the successful completion of the exercise in difficult and remote terrain followed extensive preparations and coordination among district administrations, Census functionaries, Enumerators, Supervisors and other agencies involved in the exercise.
Population Enumeration was also completed in 125 Special Charges in J&K and 47 in Ladakh covering the Defence, Central Armed Police Forces and other Central forces. These establishments were enumerated through paper schedules because of operational and security considerations, with the data subsequently to be digitised and integrated into the main Census database through a secure mechanism.
The remaining non-snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, including Jammu and Srinagar, are scheduled to undergo Population Enumeration in February 2027. Ladakh, having completed enumeration across the entire Union Territory, will not be part of that February exercise.
Sharma said work on the District Census Handbook is also progressing, with fieldwork scheduled to be completed by October 30. The Census Directorate has now shifted its focus to post-enumeration processes in the areas already covered while preparations continue for the February 2027 exercise in the remaining parts of J&K.
