Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, on Tuesday emphasised the significance of the upcoming Census, stating that it would resolve critical issues related to planning and resource allocation for the Union Territory.
He stressed that despite Ladakh’s limited population being scattered across a vast and challenging geographical expanse, accurate data compilation must be ensured, with a focus on transparency and efficiency, as it will directly determine the region’s developmental trajectory and future prospects.
The Lieutenant Governor was speaking after inaugurating the office of the Director of Census Operations and Citizen Registration, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in Leh. He congratulated the people and officials on the establishment of the Census office after 2019, following the formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Gupta noted that the Census, approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marks a vital step forward after the 2021 exercise was deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Highlighting the longstanding challenges arising from reliance on outdated 2011 Census data, he said the new exercise would help address key gaps in planning and resource allocation.
Drawing attention to past irregularities and malpractices during Census operations under the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor stressed that the upcoming Census under the new Union Territory framework must set a benchmark.
“This first Census for Ladakh as a Union Territory must be conducted with utmost transparency, reliability and efficiency. There should be no compromise on constitutional mandates,” he asserted.
He reiterated the Union Territory administration’s full commitment to facilitating a seamless process, describing the Census as a cornerstone of effective governance backed by contemporary data.
Linking the initiative to national aspirations, Gupta noted India’s pursuit of Viksit Bharat 2047 through innovations such as Artificial Intelligence and geo-tagged self-enumeration mechanisms, which will allow citizens to submit data online through mobile applications and a dedicated portal.
Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra congratulated the administration on the milestone, highlighting the pioneering digital data collection tools to be used in the upcoming Census and assuring full Union Territory support for its timely execution.
Amit Sharma, Director of Census Operations and Citizen Registration, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, briefed the gathering on the two-phase process—Houselisting and Housing Census (April–September 2026) and Population Enumeration (September 2026 for snow-bound areas).
He said the exercise would feature 100 per cent paperless digital tools, self-enumeration, caste data capture and deployment of trained functionaries to generate rapid, actionable insights.
He informed that the Houselisting and Housing Census in Ladakh is expected to be conducted from June 1 to June 30, and also requested additional space to ensure the smooth functioning of the Census office.