App-based enumeration, self-registration mark historic shift
Srinagar, Mar 05: Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for the first phase of the upcoming Census 2027, with the administration preparing to launch the House Listing Operations (HLO) across the Union Territory from June 1 to June 30, 2026. The exercise will mark a significant shift toward technology-driven data collection, including the first-ever digital app-based enumeration and self-registration facility for citizens.
Officials said the preparations for the massive population exercise are in their final stages, although a crucial preparatory meeting involving top officials had to be postponed due to the prevailing Middle East situation.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, Amit Sharma, Director of Census Operations and Director of Citizen Registration for J&K, said the meeting involving senior officers will now be held shortly.
“The meeting couldn’t take place due to the Middle East situation. The crucial meeting was scheduled to be held in which top officials were expected to participate physically,” Sharma said. “The administration is currently working on finalising the next date for the meeting, which will involve district heads who have already been assigned key roles in the exercise.”
He said that they are just figuring out the things and will hold the meeting accordingly, in which the Deputy Commissioners, who have already been designated as Principal Census Officers, will be attending. “The date of the meeting has not been finalised yet,” he said.
Sharma said the House Listing Operations (HLO) — the first stage of the census — will take place throughout June this year and will rely heavily on digital technology.
“House Listing Operations (HLO) for the Census 2027 will be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir from June 1 to June 30, 2026, featuring a digital, app-based approach with self-enumeration options available 15 days prior,” he said. The upcoming census will also introduce a self-enumeration facility, allowing citizens to fill in their details online before enumerators visit households — a feature being introduced for the first time in the region.
“It is for the first time that people will be able to register themselves on their own. We have been using the technology this time,” he added.
The Director said the digital approach aligns with the broader Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) framework and is expected to streamline the process while reducing administrative burden. “The Ease of Doing Business has helped in reducing the burden and tackling the situation with ease,” he added.
He further said that the groundwork for the census exercise is nearing completion. “Preparations are in the final stage. It is going on,” Sharma said.
The last Census in India was conducted in 2011, according to which the population of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state stood at 1.25 crore (12,541,302). The upcoming Census will therefore provide the first comprehensive demographic update for the region in more than 15 years, a period that has witnessed major administrative, political and demographic changes.
The Census 2027 is expected to be one of the most technologically advanced population surveys in India, with mobile applications, geo-tagging and digital data collection gradually replacing traditional paper-based methods. In Jammu and Kashmir, district administrations are already being mobilised to ensure smooth conduct of the exercise across urban and remote areas alike.
