Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta inaugurated  the Office of Director of Census Operations and Citizen Registration, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh at the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museum, in Leh on January 7.

Congratulating the people and officials on the establishment of the Census Office following the formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh in 2019, the Lieutenant Governor said the Census 2027 will play a decisive role in determining Ladakh’s developmental trajectory and future prospects. He noted that the Census, approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marks a significant step forward after the 2021 exercise was deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highlighting long-standing challenges arising from reliance on outdated 2011 Census data, the Lt Governor said the new Census would address critical gaps in planning and resource allocation. Referring to irregularities and malpractices during Census operations under the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, he stressed that the forthcoming Census in the new Union Territory framework must set a benchmark.

“This first Census for Ladakh as a Union Territory must be conducted with the utmost transparency, reliability and efficiency. There should be no compromise on constitutional mandates,” the Lt Governor asserted. He reiterated the UT Administration’s full commitment to ensuring a smooth and successful Census process, describing it as a cornerstone of effective governance based on contemporary and accurate data.

Kavinder Gupta also linked the initiative to India’s broader national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, highlighting the use of innovations such as Artificial Intelligence, geo-tagging and self-enumeration mechanisms that will allow citizens to submit data digitally through mobile applications and an online portal.

Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra termed the inauguration a major milestone and highlighted the pioneering digital data collection tools to be used in the upcoming Census. He assured complete support from the UT Administration to ensure the timely and efficient conduct of the exercise.

Earlier, Amit Sharma, Director of Census Operations and Citizen Registration, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, briefed the gathering on the two-phase Census process—Houselisting and Housing Census (April–September 2026) and Population Enumeration (September 2026 for snow-bound areas). He said the Census will be conducted using 100 per cent paperless digital tools, self-enumeration facilities, caste data capture and the deployment of trained functionaries to generate rapid and actionable insights.

He informed that the Houselisting and Housing Census in Ladakh is expected to be conducted between June 1 and June 30, and requested additional office space to ensure smooth functioning of the department.