STATE TIMES NEWS
LEH/JAMMU: Amit Sharma, IAS, Director Census Operations (DCO) and Director Citizen Registration (DCR), Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs for the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, on Tuesday moderated the 2nd UT Level Census Coordination Committee (UTLCCC) Meeting for UT Ladakh. The meeting was held in hybrid mode and was chaired by Pawan Kotwal, Chief Secretary, UT Ladakh. It was attended by Administrative Secretaries, Deputy Commissioners of Leh and Kargil, and senior officers of the UT Administration and Directorate of Census Operations.
During the meeting, Amit Sharma made a comprehensive presentation on the upcoming Census 2027, which will be India’s first fully digital and paperless census. He informed that the administrative jurisdiction for conduct of Census 2027 activities would be frozen by December 31, 2025. In this regard, the Chief Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners of Leh and Kargil to submit the requisite information within the prescribed timelines, following which a Gazette Notification would be issued by the UT Administration.
Amit Sharma also requested the UT Ladakh Administration to appoint the required census staff for smooth conduct of census operations, followed by an early Gazette Notification, in line with other States and Union Territories. The proposal was agreed upon and approved during the meeting.
Highlighting the unique features of Census 2027, Sharma stated that it would include a self-enumeration facility for citizens through a dedicated mobile application, faster data processing through a robust digital platform, and the introduction of “Census as a Service (CaaS)” for the first time. He also informed that an additional column on caste would be included, making the census more comprehensive and meaningful.
A major decision taken during the meeting was regarding the timeline for census activities in Ladakh. Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal announced that the House Listing Operation (HLO) would be conducted in June 2026, followed by Population Enumeration (PE) in September 2026, keeping in view Ladakh’s categorisation as a snow-bound region, as per Government of India notification.
Amit Sharma further assured that the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, would provide due remuneration to all census functionaries, along with necessary IT infrastructure, vehicles, POL, technical experts and support staff throughout the 18-month census period.
Before the conclusion of the meeting, Amit Sharma expressed gratitude to Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal for chairing the meeting and clearing crucial decisions on the eve of his retirement. Participants also extended best wishes to the Chief Secretary for his post-retirement life.