Now Reading: J&K, Ladakh census: snow-bound areas to be counted from Sept 1
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J&K, Ladakh census: snow-bound areas to be counted from Sept 1
Amit Sharma, Chief Census Officer for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, announced on Thursday that population enumeration for the 2027 Census will begin in snow-bound areas from September 1, 2026. The house-listing…
The Story in Brief
Amit Sharma, Chief Census Officer for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, announced on Thursday that population enumeration for the 2027 Census will begin in snow-bound areas from September 1, 2026. The house-listing phase, which ended on June 30, was 100% successful. Self-enumeration for these regions will be available online from August 17 to 31, followed by house-to-house counting until September 30.
Ladakh's census is significant as it is the first conducted after the region became a Union Territory in 2019 and will be completed before other areas. The second phase will include an open-ended column for recording caste, as reported by The Hindu, following a methodology that yielded over 46 lakh different caste names in the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census. The government has previously called that data unreliable. Enumerators in Ladakh will use paper schedules to record defence structures along the LAC as 'special charges'.
The Indian Opinion
The focus on snow-bound areas and Ladakh's first independent census highlights logistical challenges, but the caste data debate cannot be ignored. The government's past dismissal of the 2011 SECC caste count as 'unreliable' contrasts with its use of an open-ended caste column now, risking over 46 lakh different responses again. A true test will be if the Centre releases this caste data without excuses, unlike before, making the 2027 Census numbers credible.
Sources (2): greaterkashmir.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
