Jammu and Kashmir will undergo population enumeration for the Census of India 2027 in two phases, keeping in view the region’s diverse climatic conditions. The census exercise will be conducted in September 2026 in snow-bound areas and in February 2027 in the plains and non-snow-bound regions.
Director of Census Operations and Director of Citizen Registration (DCR) for J&K and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, said the timelines have been adjusted to ensure smooth data collection in areas that become inaccessible during winter. He confirmed that the dates for the second phase Population Enumeration (PE) have already been finalised by the Centre.
According to Sharma, the first phase of the census, known as House Listing Operations (HLO), is yet to be officially announced for J&K. However, for Ladakh, HLO is scheduled to take place in June 2026. The exact dates will be finalised after a meeting with the J&K Chief Secretary and other senior officials in the third week of January 2026.
The HLO phase involves listing houses, buildings, and basic amenities and serves as the foundation for the population count. Across the country, the house-listing phase will be conducted between April 1 and September 30, 2026, with states and Union Territories allowed to choose a 30-day window as per local convenience.
For snow-bound and high-altitude regions, including parts of J&K and Ladakh, population enumeration has been advanced to September 2026 to avoid harsh winter conditions. In the plains of J&K, the enumeration will take place in February 2027.
The 2027 Census will be India’s first fully digital census, featuring mobile applications for enumerators and self-enumeration options for citizens. It will also include caste enumeration for the first time since 1931. Delayed from its original 2021 schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the census is expected to play a crucial role in policy planning, resource allocation, and future delimitation exercises across the country.
