Region to demonstrate how caste will be recorded for first time
Ladakh, one of India’s youngest Union Territories, will lead operations to demonstrate how caste will be enumerated in the Population Enumeration (PE) phase of Census 2027, officials said. The PE phase in Ladakh and other snow-bound areas is scheduled to begin on 17 August and run until 30 September, ahead of the nationwide exercise planned for February 2027.
According to the Directorate of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the planned approach retains the open-column methodology trialled during pre-tests carried out from 1 to 20 July in 16 States and Union Territories. Under this method, respondents other than those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will record their caste in an open column, or an enumerator will note the caste as declared by a resident.
The registrar general and census commissioner’s office has not yet notified the final questionnaire or schedule for PE. But officials said the rehearsal results indicate the methodology for recording caste is likely to be retained in the field operations in Ladakh.
Paper schedules for security reasons; digital census elsewhere
The ongoing census is being conducted digitally for the first time. However, officials have made an exception for parts of Ladakh and will print a sufficient number of paper schedules for the Population Enumeration phase.
This deviation responds to the presence of large defence establishments along the borders with China and Pakistan, whose locations cannot be geo-tagged for security reasons. The digital process requires enumerators to geo-locate structures using a mobile application; residents who self-enumerate on the portal are also required to provide geo-location data. In areas where geotagging is restricted, paper schedules will be used instead.
Training and field readiness
The local Directorate said it has just completed a three-day Master Trainers' Training Programme for the Population Enumeration, marking the next phase of field preparedness for the operations beginning 17 August. Chief Principal Census Officer Amit Sharma described the programme as providing comprehensive training on aspects of Census 2027 population enumeration, according to the directorate.
Preparations are also under way in other high-altitude and snow-bound regions that will conduct PE in the same early window: parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, officials said.
What the pre-test covered
During the July pre-test, enumerators used schedules that covered multiple parameters. Officials indicated the PE phase is likely to include questions on around 40 parameters, and provide the open column for caste entries. The pre-test aimed to assess how the open response option functioned in the field and to iron out practical issues before large-scale deployment.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| PE start (snowbound areas) | 17 August |
| PE end (snowbound areas) | 30 September |
| Nationwide PE | February 2027 |
| Pre-test period | 1–20 July in 16 States/UTs |
Operational and policy implications
The move to include an open column for caste in the PE is significant because it marks the first time caste will be enumerated across India since Independence. Officials framed the pre-test as a way to determine how best to capture respondent-declared caste in a digital-first census while accommodating security and practical constraints in sensitive locations.
Local census authorities emphasised that the final schedule and operational details will be issued by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) and that the preparations in Ladakh are part of the field readiness for upcoming enumeration operations.
- Open-column recording: Respondents (other than SC/ST) will declare caste in a free-text field or have it recorded by enumerators.
- Paper schedules: Printed forms to be used where geo-tagging is restricted for security reasons.
- Staggered timeline: PE in snowbound areas from 17 Aug–30 Sep; rest of country in Feb 2027.
Officials in the Directorate of Census Operations urged cooperative participation from residents and local agencies to ensure smooth conduct of the Population Enumeration phase in Ladakh and other affected regions.
