Centre formally defers Census 2027 house-listing in Manipur

The Centre has formally deferred the house-listing operations for Census 2027 in Manipur until further declaration, 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, amended the earlier Census 2027 notification dated January 7, 2026, which had provided for house-listing operations across all states and Union territories.

Under the amendment, the words “except the State of Manipur till further declaration” have been inserted after the reference to house-listing operations in all states and Union territories.

The notification was issued under Sections 3 and 17A of the Census Act, 1948, read with Rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990.

The move comes amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur and demands from various civil society organisations regarding the conduct of the census exercise in the state.

The Centre had earlier deferred the census operations in Manipur following demands, including calls for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the census and concerns over the exercise amid the prevailing situation in the state.

The latest notification makes the deferment official, with no fresh date specified for commencement of the house-listing exercise in Manipur.

The notification was signed by Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner.