JAMMU: The fieldwork for the District Census Handbook (DCHB) has been completed in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while preparations are underway for the next phase of Population Enumeration in non-snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir in February 2027.
Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director Census Operations, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, IAS, announced this during a press briefing in Jammu on Saturday.
Sharma said Charge Officers would now scrutinise the data submitted through the DCHB portal to ensure completeness, consistency and accuracy. The verification process will also involve comparing information with previous Census records, particularly in areas where village or town boundaries have changed.
The exercise comprises approximately 400 questions for each Village Directory and 420 questions for each Town Directory. The verification process is scheduled to be completed by mid-November 2026, after which the data will be submitted to the Directorate of Census Operations for authentication.
The CPCO said the information collected under the DCHB exercise reflects the status of village and town amenities and infrastructure as of December 31, 2025. The directories cover key facilities, including education, healthcare, drinking water, sanitation, transport and communications, providing valuable information for local planning, district administration, academic research and assessment of development needs.
Sharma said Population Enumeration in the non-snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled for February 2027. Preparations will build on the experience gained during the enumeration exercise in snowbound areas, with coordination among the Census Directorate, district administrations and concerned departments.
A phased training programme has been planned for officers, trainers, enumerators and supervisors. State- and district-level officer training is scheduled for completion by mid-November 2026, followed by Master Trainer training in the third week of November. Field Trainer training will take place during the first and second weeks of December, while enumerators and supervisors will be trained from the third week of December 2026 to mid-January 2027.
The forthcoming exercise will also focus on Special Charges, including designated defence establishments, Central Armed Police Forces and other institutions. The Directorate will coordinate with the concerned authorities to ensure that enumerators and supervisors are familiar with the prescribed procedures and specific requirements of these establishments.
Sharma also stressed the importance of ensuring complete coverage of the houseless population. Field teams will make arrangements to identify and enumerate people who do not live in conventional households, including those found on pavements, at transport hubs and at other locations identified under Census instructions.
Concluding the briefing, Sharma said the Directorate was pursuing two parallel priorities: ensuring the accuracy and reliability of DCHB data through verification and preparing the field machinery for the next phase of Population Enumeration in the remaining non-snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
He emphasised that timely training, coordination with district administrations and concerned departments, and the inclusion of every population group would be crucial to the successful completion of Census 2027 in the Union Territory.
Sharma was accompanied by Joint Chief Principal Census Officer Arun Kumar and Deputy Chief Principal Census Officer Manmeet Singh Loomba.
