Srinagar, May 17: Marking a historic milestone in India’s administrative and developmental journey, the Self-Enumeration process for Census 2027 commenced simultaneously across the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Sunday with strong public and institutional participation.

The launch holds special significance as Census 2027 will be the first Census conducted in both Union Territories after their reorganisation in 2019. It will also be India’s first fully digital and paperless Census, reflecting a major shift towards technology-driven governance and citizen participation.
The Self-Enumeration exercise was formally inaugurated in Jammu & Kashmir by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, while the launch in Ladakh was led by Lieutenant Governor Dr. B. D. Mishra (through official arrangements in the UT). The initiative underscores the administrative focus on ensuring maximum public awareness and participation in the nationwide exercise.
On the opening day, Chief Secretaries of both Union Territories—Atal Dulloo (Jammu & Kashmir) and Ashish Kundra (Ladakh)—completed their Self-Enumeration using the official portal www.se.census.gov.in, setting an example for citizens and highlighting the ease, transparency, and accessibility of the digital platform.
Officials said the participation of top constitutional and administrative authorities on day one is being seen as a strong confidence-building step aimed at encouraging citizens to actively engage in the Census 2027 process.
Amit Sharma, Chief Principal Census Officer for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, said the Self-Enumeration facility will remain open from May 17 to May 31, while the House Listing Operations and Housing Census will be conducted from June 1 to June 30, 2026.
He said extensive preparations are underway across both Union Territories, including geo-referenced digital mapping, formation of enumeration blocks, training of field functionaries, multilingual awareness campaigns, and special arrangements for remote, border, snow-bound, and high-altitude areas.
The Census 2027 exercise is being positioned as a landmark step towards a modern, transparent, and participatory governance system aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Officials also highlighted that a robust multi-layered digital security framework has been put in place to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data. This includes end-to-end encryption, secure transmission protocols, protected storage systems, role-based access controls, and certified data centres designated as Critical Information Infrastructure.
Self-Enumeration is being projected as a key citizen-centric innovation, allowing households to directly submit their census details through a secure online portal, thereby simplifying participation and strengthening data accuracy.