Census 2027: Population Enumeration Begins in Snow-Clad Areas Across J&K, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand

New Delhi: The population enumeration phase of Census 2027 has begun in India's snow-bound and difficult-to-access regions, with census officials starting door-to-door visits across parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The special exercise began on September 1 and will continue through September 30, allowing authorities to complete the population count in mountainous areas before the onset of severe winter conditions. A revisional round is scheduled from October 1 to 5.

Unlike the rest of the country, where population enumeration is scheduled for February 2027, the exercise in these snow-bound areas has been brought forward because heavy snowfall can cut off remote villages and high-altitude settlements for several months.

Ladakh to be fully covered in September

The entire Union Territory of Ladakh is being covered during the September exercise. This makes Ladakh the first Union Territory to be completely enumerated during the second phase of Census 2027.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the exercise covers notified snow-bound pockets across 16 districts. Officials have created thousands of enumeration blocks and deployed trained enumerators and supervisors to reach households in difficult terrain.

The exercise was formally launched in areas including Dudu and Basantgarh in Udhampur district, with census officials stressing the importance of ensuring that even remote communities are included in the national population count.

Self-enumeration completed before field exercise

Residents in the notified snow-bound areas were given the option of completing their census details digitally through the self-enumeration facility between August 17 and August 31.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 9,672 self-enumeration submissions, the highest among the states and Union Territories covered under the special September schedule, according to officials.

The digital option is part of a major change in the way Census 2027 is being conducted. For the first time in India, the Census is being carried out digitally, with enumerators using mobile applications to collect and submit information.

Caste data to be collected

The population enumeration phase will collect demographic and socio-economic information from individuals. Importantly, Census 2027 will also include caste enumeration, making it the first Census in independent India to include a caste-related question in the population enumeration exercise.

The questionnaire covers areas including education, occupation, migration, fertility and other demographic and socio-economic parameters.

The reference date for the Census in Ladakh and the notified snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026, compared with March 1, 2027, for most of the country.

Nationwide population count in February 2027

Census 2027 is being conducted in two broad phases. The first phase covers House Listing and Housing Census, while the second involves the actual population enumeration.

The first phase has already been completed in 31 states and Union Territories, while the remaining areas are scheduled to complete it by September 2026.

For the rest of India, population enumeration will take place in February 2027.

The government has approved an outlay of ₹11,718.24 crore for the Census 2027 exercise, which is being described as India's first fully digital Census. Around 30 lakh field functionaries are expected to participate in the massive nationwide exercise.

The early enumeration in the snow-clad regions is therefore a crucial logistical step, ensuring that difficult terrain and extreme winter weather do not leave remote populations outside the country's first Census in more than a decade.