A one-day UT-level training conference on House Listing Operations (HLO) for Census of India 2027 was held on February 25 under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary of UT-Ladakh, Ashish Kundra.

The conference was organised by the Planning, Development & Monitoring Department (PD&MD), UT-Ladakh — the nodal department for the Census — in collaboration with the Directorate of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The training programme aimed to strengthen preparedness and coordination for the successful conduct of House Listing Operations across the Union Territory as part of Census 2027.

At the outset, Amit Sharma, Director of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, provided a comprehensive overview of Census 2027 and the House Listing Operations. He highlighted the importance of early sensitisation of stakeholders, timely appointment of nodal officers, and effective inter-departmental coordination. He expressed confidence that UT-Ladakh could emerge as one of the best-performing regions in the country in the upcoming Census exercise.

In his address, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra underscored the significance of the Census as the backbone of policy formulation, welfare planning, and equitable resource distribution. He stated that the Census is not merely a statistical exercise but a foundational activity that directly impacts developmental planning, infrastructure creation, and the delivery of public services.

He emphasised that special attention must be given to translating census schedules and training materials into local languages to ensure better understanding and accurate data collection at the grassroots level. He also stressed the need for structured and decentralised training at district, sub-division, and village levels so that enumerators and supervisors are fully equipped with technical and procedural knowledge.

During the conference, detailed discussions were held on the strategy for Census 2027, including its background, methodology, timeline, and implementation process. It was informed that the Census in UT-Ladakh will be conducted in two phases: House Listing Operations (HLO) and Population Enumeration (PE).

The administrative framework under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the overall significance of the Census as a foundation for evidence-based policymaking were also elaborated upon. Special emphasis was laid on the use of digital tools for data collection, including mobile applications and the Census Management & Monitoring System (CMMS).

Key functionalities of CMMS — such as registration of census functionaries, monitoring of field activities, reporting mechanisms, and fund management — were explained in detail.

Discussions were also held on provisions for self-enumeration, robust data security measures, and key features of the Census Act, 1948. Self-enumeration was highlighted as a first-of-its-kind feature of Census 2027 in India, enabling citizens to fill in their information through a designated portal. The UT administration was requested to facilitate the process through its offices.

Technical assistance requirements for strengthening UT-, district-, and charge-level census offices were reviewed, including hiring manpower, augmenting IT infrastructure, issuing census circulars, and resolving operational challenges encountered so far.

Additionally, presentations were made on the roles and responsibilities of various census functionaries, procedures for registration on the CMMS portal, training modules, fund disbursement and utilisation processes, and mechanisms to address field-level challenges.

The importance of inter-agency coordination and effective publicity campaigns to ensure public participation and awareness across the Union Territory was also emphasised.

Among those present were Dr L. Franklin, Commissioner Secretary, PD&MD and Nodal Officer for Census 2027 in UT-Ladakh; Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Kargil; Moses Kunzang, Administrative Secretary, Youth Services & Sports; Ghulam Mohd, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Leh; Imtiyaz Kacho, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kargil; Tsewang Gyalson, CPO Leh; Sunil Kaul, State Informatics Officer, NIC; Punchok Paldan, Director, NIC Leh; and Konchok Gyalson, Joint Director Planning, along with other officers.

From the Office of the Director of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, those present included Arun Kumar, Joint Director; Manmeet Singh Loomba, Deputy Director; Jatinder Kumar, Assistant Director; Sanjay Kumar, SIG-I; and Tashi Otsal, SIG-II.