Srinagar, Aug 6: Preparations for Census 2027 gathered momentum in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh as the three-day Master Trainers' Training Programme for Population Enumeration (Phase-II) concluded successfully, laying the foundation for the next phase of field-level preparedness ahead of the Population Enumeration scheduled to begin in September 2026 in notified snow-bound areas.

The training programme, organised by the Directorate of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh from August 4 to 6, was conducted under the guidance of Chief Principal Census Officer and Director of Census Operations, IAS Amit Sharma.
The programme brought together Master Trainers from 16 districts of Jammu & Kashmir—Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Doda, Ganderbal, Kathua, Kishtwar, Kulgam, Kupwara, Poonch, Pulwama, Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi, Shopian and Udhampur—along with trainers from Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh.
These Master Trainers will now spearhead district-level training programmes for Field Trainers, who will subsequently train thousands of Enumerators and Supervisors responsible for conducting the Population Enumeration exercise across snow-bound regions.
Addressing the participants, IAS Amit Sharma underscored the crucial role of Master Trainers in ensuring the success of the country's first digitally conducted Census. He said the trainers form the backbone of the Census framework and will be instrumental in maintaining uniformity, accuracy and quality throughout the nationwide enumeration process.
He stressed the importance of standardized training across all districts so that every Enumerator and Supervisor is fully equipped with the knowledge and practical skills required to carry out the exercise efficiently and accurately.
The intensive training programme was conducted by Arun Kumar, Joint Chief Principal Census Officer and National Trainer, along with Jatinder Kumar, Assistant Chief Principal Census Officer and Master Trainer, through a blend of classroom lectures, practical demonstrations, role plays, quizzes, mock interviews and hands-on digital exercises.
Participants received detailed orientation on every aspect of Population Enumeration, including Census concepts and definitions, demographic particulars, religion and caste, family composition, disability, education and literacy, language, migration, fertility, economic activities, enumeration of houseless population, Revisional Round procedures, digital data collection through the Population Enumeration Mobile Application, Self-Enumeration and effective interviewing techniques.
Special emphasis was laid on the use of digital technology, reflecting the Government of India's transition towards a technology-driven Census aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and real-time data accuracy.
Officials said the completion of the Master Trainers' programme marks a significant milestone in the Census preparation process, ensuring that a strong and well-trained workforce is in place before field-level operations commence.
With the successful conclusion of the programme, the Directorate of Census Operations is now set to launch district-level capacity-building exercises across Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, further strengthening preparedness for one of the country's largest administrative and statistical exercises.
The upcoming Census is expected to provide crucial demographic, socio-economic and developmental data that will guide future policy planning, governance, welfare schemes and resource allocation across the country, including the geographically challenging snow-bound regions of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.