Centre notifies schedule for snow-bound regions; caste data to be collected for the first time
LEH/NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday notified that the second phase of the Census—Population Enumeration—will be conducted across Ladakh from September 1 to 30, making the Union Territory among the first regions in the country to undergo the nationwide headcount because of its harsh winter conditions.
According to a Gazette notification issued by Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, the population enumeration will also cover snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the same period.
The notification provides an option for self-enumeration from August 17 to 31, allowing residents to submit their details online before the commencement of door-to-door enumeration.
A revisional round will be conducted from October 1 to 5, while the reference date for the Census in Ladakh has been fixed as 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026.
The population enumeration marks the second phase of the ongoing Census exercise. The first phase, comprising the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO), is currently underway and will continue until September 30.
During the housing census, enumerators are collecting information on residential buildings, households and basic amenities through a questionnaire covering 33 parameters, including household ownership, facilities and demographic details.
The Government said the upcoming Census will be the eighth national Census since Independence and will, for the first time, include the collection of caste data during the population enumeration phase. The decision to incorporate caste enumeration was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on April 30, 2025.
The nationwide Census, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Union Cabinet has approved an outlay of ₹11,718 crore for conducting the Census, which is expected to be the country’s largest population enumeration exercise. The second phase for the rest of India is likely to commence next year.
