695 Enumeration Blocks covered across Leh and Kargil; entire UT completes exercise ahead of February 2027 phase
LEH: Ladakh has become the first Union Territory in the country to complete Population Enumeration for Census 2027, marking a major operational milestone in the nationwide census exercise.
The announcement was made by Amit Sharma, IAS, Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director Census Operations, J&K and Ladakh, following the successful completion of enumeration in snow-bound areas of the two Union Territories.
In Ladakh, the September enumeration exercise covered the entire Union Territory, with all 695 Enumeration Blocks (EBs) completed. Of these, 367 EBs were covered in Leh district and 328 in Kargil district.
The snow-bound Population Enumeration was conducted from September 1 to 30, 2026, following the Self-Enumeration phase held from August 17 to 31. The successful completion means that Ladakh will not be part of the February 2027 Population Enumeration schedule, which will cover the remaining non-snow-bound areas of J&K.
Sharma termed the achievement particularly significant given Ladakh’s vast, remote and geographically challenging terrain, where harsh climatic conditions necessitated a separate enumeration schedule and extensive advance preparations. Across the designated snow-bound areas of J&K and Ladakh, a total of 5,292 Enumeration Blocks were completed, including 4,597 in J&K and 695 in Ladakh.
The Ladakh operation involved extensive coordination among the Census machinery, district administrations, Special Charges, Enumerators and Supervisors. Dedicated arrangements were also made for 47 Special Charges in Ladakh, including Defence and CAPF establishments. Paper schedules were used at these locations, while digitisation of the collected data is currently underway.
The exercise was closely monitored by senior officials of the Census organisation. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan visited Ladakh in September to review the implementation and progress of Population Enumeration. Observers deputed by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner also monitored field operations, including adherence to Census instructions, functioning of digital applications, fieldwork quality and respondent participation.
Sharma credited the achievement to the coordinated efforts of the district administrations, Census functionaries, Special Charges, Enumerators and Supervisors, besides the cooperation extended by residents.
The Census machinery had undertaken extensive preparatory work in Ladakh, including training, demarcation of Enumeration Blocks, distribution of Census kits and manuals, and deployment of Nodal Officers and District Coordinators.
Meanwhile, work on the District Census Handbook (DCHB) is progressing in Ladakh. Training for DCHB fieldwork has already been completed, while the fieldwork is scheduled to conclude by October 30, 2026. In Ladakh, 17 Charge Officers, two Town Officers and 56 Village Officers have been engaged for the exercise.
The completion of population enumeration across Ladakh represents a significant step in the phased implementation of Census 2027. The final population figures for Ladakh will, however, form part of the nationwide Census results, which are scheduled to be released after completion of the overall Census exercise in March-April 2027.
In UT of J&K, the snow-bound operation covered 16 districts and 95 Charges. Doda recorded the highest number of completed EBs at 798, followed by Kishtwar with 602, Ramban with 418, Anantnag with 377 and Baramulla with 359. Reasi recorded 345 completed EBs and Udhampur 313. Kishtwar district was declared fully snow-bound and hence has become the first district in the entire country to complete Population Enumeration for Census 2027.
The exercise also received close attention from the senior leadership of the Census organisation. Shri Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, IAS, Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, undertook visit to J&K in August and his maiden visit to Ladakh during September to personally review the implementation and progress of Population Enumeration in the snow-bound areas. Shri Sunil Kumar, Additional Registrar General, visited J&K during the preparatory phase in August. Both senior officers expressed satisfaction with the progress of preparations, training and field operations.
