Migrant community to be fully covered in J&K Census 2027: Amit Sharma
hief Principal Census Officer visits several migrant camps to understand community concerns and raise awareness
Amit Sharma, Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director of Census Operations (DCO) for J&K and Ladakh, on Thursday held a detailed interaction with officials of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner to review preparedness for Census 2027, with a special focus on the migrant population.
Sharma also visited several migrant camps to understand community concerns and raise awareness about the upcoming census exercise.
During the meeting, he assured that the migrant community will be fully covered under Census 2027, reiterating that the exercise aims at complete enumeration of every individual and household without exclusion.
Addressing concerns, Sharma clarified that no personal or financial documents—such as Aadhaar, PAN, or bank account details—will be collected during the census, ensuring privacy and building confidence among respondents.
He emphasised that Census 2027 will be conducted through a transparent, secure, and citizen-friendly digital framework, with an option for self-enumeration through an online portal. He urged members of the migrant community to participate actively and provide accurate information without fear or apprehension.
Providing an overview, Sharma said Census 2027 will be the 16th since inception and the 8th after Independence, and will be conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, ensuring strict confidentiality of data.
The census will be carried out in two phases. House Listing Operations and the Housing Census are scheduled from June 1 to June 30, 2026, with a self-enumeration window from May 17 to May 31, 2026. This will be followed by Population Enumeration in February 2027, while snow-bound areas will be covered earlier, in September 2026.
Highlighting the digital transformation, Sharma said the exercise will use mobile applications, geo-referenced mapping, and a robust Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) for real-time tracking and supervision.
He also stressed the importance of capacity building through structured training of census personnel at multiple levels to ensure accuracy and uniformity in data collection.
