Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has ordered a complete freeze on any changes to administrative boundaries across the state from 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2027, the period during which preparations and enumeration for Census 2027 will take place.
The directive has been issued under the powers granted by Rule 8(iv) of the Census Rules, 1990, framed under the Census Act, 1948. According to the order, no alteration will be permitted in the jurisdiction of districts, subdivisions, blocks, municipal bodies, cantonment boards, wards, panchayats, or villages during this period.
Officials said the freeze is essential to ensure that all census operations are carried out on stable and clearly defined administrative units, avoiding discrepancies in data collection.
The Chief Minister has also instructed departments and local bodies to forward all details of boundary changes made up to 31 December 2025, along with the required notifications, to the Directorate of Census Operations in Ranchi.
The directive has been circulated to ensure timely compliance before the census machinery gears up for the first nationwide enumeration exercise after the pandemic period.