LEH: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, on Tuesday underscored the importance of the upcoming Census for the Union Territory, stating that accurate and transparent data collection would address critical challenges in planning and resource allocation and shape Ladakh’s future development.
The Lt Governor was speaking after inaugurating the Office of the Director of Census Operations and Citizen Registration, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, at the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museum here.
Highlighting Ladakh’s unique demographic and geographical challenges, Kavinder Gupta said that despite the region’s small population spread across a vast and difficult terrain, the Census must be conducted with the highest standards of transparency, reliability and efficiency. “This first Census of Ladakh as a Union Territory must set a benchmark. There should be no compromise on constitutional mandates,” he asserted.
Congratulating officials and the people on the establishment of the Census Office post-2019, the Lt Governor noted that the exercise, approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marks a vital step forward after the 2021 Census was deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said reliance on outdated 2011 Census data had posed challenges in governance and planning, and the forthcoming exercise would help overcome these gaps. Referring to irregularities during Census operations under the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, he stressed that the new UT framework must ensure a flawless and credible process.
Linking the Census to national goals, the Lt Governor said the exercise aligns with India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, highlighting the use of advanced digital tools such as Artificial Intelligence, geo-tagging and self-enumeration through mobile applications and online portals.
Chief Secretary Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, described the inauguration as a significant milestone and highlighted the adoption of pioneering digital data collection tools, assuring full support of the UT administration for the timely and smooth conduct of the Census.
Director of Census Operations and Citizen Registration, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, 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 exercise would be completely paperless, featuring self-enumeration, caste data capture and deployment of trained functionaries for generating actionable data. He added that the Houselisting and Housing Census in Ladakh is expected to be conducted between June 1 and 30, 2026, and requested additional office space for smooth functioning.
Joint Director, Census Operations, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Arun Kumar, delivered the vote of thanks.
Administrative Secretaries Sanjit Rodrigues and P. T. Rudra Goud, Additional District Development Commissioner Leh Sonam Nurboo, and senior government officials were present on the occasion.
