Imphal: The Centre has formally deferred house-listing operations for Census 2027 in the state until further orders, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 5.
The notification issued by the Office of the Registrar General, India, amends the earlier Census 2027 notification dated January 7, 2026, which had scheduled house-listing operations across all states and Union territories.
Following the amendment, Manipur has been excluded from the nationwide house-listing exercise until further declaration. The notification specifically inserts the phrase “except the State of Manipur till further declaration” after the provision covering house-listing operations across the country.
The latest order has been issued under Sections 3 and 17A of the Census Act, 1948, along with Rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990.
The decision comes against the backdrop of the prolonged ethnic conflict in Manipur and continuing concerns raised by civil society organisations over conducting the census amid the prevailing situation.
The Centre had previously deferred census-related activities in Manipur following demands from various groups, including calls for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the census exercise. Concerns had also been raised over the feasibility of carrying out the enumeration process while the state continues to grapple with the conflict.
With the latest notification, the deferment of the house-listing exercise has now been formally incorporated into the Census 2027 framework. However, the Centre has not announced a revised date for beginning the exercise in Manipur.
The notification was signed by Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner.