Amit Sharma unveils maiden Census 2027 roadmap in Ladakh after getting UT status & provisioning of two census data workstations to boost grassroot planning.
April 03, 2026: At a press orientation meet today, Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director Census Operations (DCO), Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, IAS, outlined the roadmap for Census 2027, describing it as a transformative exercise that will redefine data-driven governance in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Highlighting a major milestone, CPCO & DCO UTs of J&K and Ladakh, Amit Sharma disclosed that Census 2027 will be the first Census exercise to be conducted in the Union Territory of Ladakh after its creation in 2019. He termed it as a significant opportunity to generate accurate and comprehensive data for the region, enabling targeted development and informed policy interventions.
Addressing media persons here, he informed that Census 2027 will be India’s first Census to be carried out through fully digital means, leveraging advanced technology for efficient and transparent data collection. He stated that the Census will be conducted in two phases, with House Listing Operations scheduled from June 1 to June 30, 2026, preceded by a 15-day self-enumeration period from May 17 to May 31, 2026. The people will be able to fill their own information on a dedicated Self-Enumeration portal having a questionnaire of 33 questions during this period of 15 days through the weblink “se.census.gov.in” which should to be highly publicised across the nooks and corners of entire UT.
In the second phase, Population Enumeration in entire UT of Ladakh will be completed in September 2026 along with other notified snow-bound areas in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The self-enumeration period and the questionnaire for the second phase will be notified separately.
In a significant development for the Union Territory, CPCO & DCO Amit Sharma announced that the Ladakh Administration will establish two dedicated Census Workstations in the offices of the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department in collaboration with Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, so as to enable access to granular, micro-level data pertaining to the UT. He said this initiative will strengthen planning and policy formulation at the grassroots level for Ladakh.
Emphasizing the digital architecture of Census 2027, Sharma said that data will be collected through mobile applications with in-built validation checks. A web-based Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) created by indigenous PSU C-DAC will facilitate real-time supervision and streamlined operations.
Responding to queries, Sharma clarified that Census 2027 is entirely distinct from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls while emphasizing that while SIR relates to voter lists, the Census is a comprehensive exercise for socio-economic data collection. He also informed that enumerators would visit households during normal working hours and will carry valid identification credentials, advising citizens to verify the same.
He further informed that extensive preparatory work has already been completed including large-scale training of senior administrative officers including Principal Census Officers, District Census Officers and Charge Officers and their officials involved in Census 2027. The trainings for Master Trainers, Field Trainers, enumerators and supervisors will also be organized soon and will be completed before the field work for the first phase.
On data security, Sharma assured that robust safeguards have been put in place, including end-to-end encryption, secure data transmission and certified data centers designated as Critical Information Infrastructure, ensuring complete protection of personal information.
Amit Sharma, in his capacity as Chief Principal Census Officer for UT of Ladakh urged the people to actively participate in the Census process, stating that accurate data will play a crucial role in shaping the future development trajectory of the Union Territory. He was accompanied by Joint Director, Planning Monitoring and Development Department, Konchok Gyalson, Assistant Chief Principal Census Officer, Jatinder Kumar, and District Census coordinator for Leh, Tashi Otsal during this media interaction.
