RGI Mritunjay Kumar Narayan reviews Census work in Ladakh
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Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan. File | Photo Credit: ANI
Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) Mritunjay Kumar Narayan undertook a four-day visit to Ladakh to review the progress of the Population Enumeration (PE) phase of Census 2027, with a particular focus on coverage in remote and snow-bound areas, the functioning of the Census mobile application, and preparedness of field-level staff.
Ladakh is the first among States and Union Territories where the second phase of Census exercise is being undertaken ahead of the rest of the country. The PE phase has a set of 40 questions and an enumerator spends 30 to 60 minutes on average in each household to collate the details on the app developed for the exercise, a government official said. The exercise is to conclude by September 30.
The RG&CCI had notified 40 questions for the PE phase, adding 13 new questions or data fields that were not part of the Census 2011 questionnaire, which had 29 questions.
The questions added for the first time are: spouse’s name, nationality, father’s and mother’s particulars, digital literacy, permanent residential address, place of COVID-19 vaccination, number of bank accounts, passport number, driving licence availability and mobile, Aadhaar and voter ID numbers, if available.
Accompanied by Amit Sharma, Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director of Census Operations for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Mr. Narayan held a series of review meetings with the Union Territory administration, district officials, Charge Officers and field functionaries involved in the ongoing Census exercise.
During a review meeting in Leh with Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, the Census Commissioner assessed the progress of the PE and the preparedness of the field machinery. Officials reviewed arrangements to ensure comprehensive coverage of civilian areas as well as Special Charges, which comprise defence establishments.
Mr. Narayan also reviewed the status of enumeration in Special Charges with nodal and Charge Officers representing the Air Force, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Discussions centred on field preparedness and coordination mechanisms for coverage of these strategically important establishments.
The Census Commissioner later reviewed the exercise with the Kargil district administration during a visit to Zanskar and interacted directly with enumerators and supervisors engaged in the field. He sought feedback on operational challenges and support requirements for completing the exercise effectively.
A key component of the visit involved field inspections in remote and snow-bound regions, including Nubra, Chumathang and Chushul in Nyoma. During interactions with enumerators and supervisors, Mr. Narayan assessed the conduct of enumeration under difficult geographical conditions and reviewed implementation of Census procedures on the ground.
The field visits also focused on the performance of the Census mobile application being used for digital data collection. Enumerators and supervisors shared their experiences of using the application in remote areas and highlighted practical difficulties and suggestions for improvement. Taking note of the feedback, Census authorities assured field staff that their suggestions would be examined and incorporated into future refinements of the application.
Officials said the feedback mechanism would help bridge field-level experience and technological improvements as preparations continue for subsequent phases of Census operations.
Ladakh holds special significance in Census 2027, with the entire Union Territory being covered for PE during September 2026 through an estimated 637 Enumeration Blocks. The exercise follows the completion of House Listing Operations covering 579 house-listing blocks across 17 Charges.
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