Census Leadership Appointed for India's 2027 Enumeration

The Indian government has announced the appointments for Directors of Census Operations and Citizen Registration in several states, including Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. This marks a significant step towards the upcoming 2027 Census, which aims to collect vital demographic data across the nation.

M Sundaresh Babu, a 2012-batch IAS officer from the Karnataka cadre, will lead operations in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. His peer from the Odisha cadre, Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, will assume the same role in Odisha. Deep Shikha Sharma, from the 2011 Indian Forest Service batch, will oversee operations in Himachal Pradesh.

These appointments, effective from June 2023, are crucial as India gears up for its 16th decennial Census. The process will commence with a house-listing operation in April 2026, followed by comprehensive population enumeration starting February 2027. This large-scale exercise will involve over 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, playing a pivotal role in shaping the country's future policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)