In Brief:
- Ladakh, one of India’s youngest Union Territories, will lead the country's first caste enumeration in Independent India.
- The second phase of Census 2027—the Population Enumeration (PE)—begins on August 17 in Ladakh and other snow-bound regions.
- The census form is expected to cover 40 parameters and feature an open-ended column for caste enumeration.
- Defence structures in the strategic region will also be documented on paper to build a comprehensive regional profile.
Ladakh, one of the country’s two youngest Union Territories, is set to lead the way in demonstrating how caste will be enumerated for the first time in Independent India. This marks a historic milestone in India's demographic documentation, addressing long-standing policy discussions around detailed caste data.
The second phase of the Census—the Population Enumeration (PE)—is scheduled to start on August 17 across Ladakh and other snow-bound areas. As part of this exercise, the census form is expected to ask questions covering 40 parameters and will feature an open-ended column specifically designed for caste enumeration.
In addition to population and demographic details, official documentation in Ladakh will record defense structures on paper to build a complete profile of the strategic region.
