Manipur has been excluded from the January 2027 Census schedule amid demands for NRC implementation with 1951 as the base year before population enumeration.
Imphal, Oct. 30: Manipur has been excluded from the schedule for the forthcoming Census of India, which is set to begin in January 2027 in several states and Union territories, amid continuing demands in the state for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before conducting the population enumeration.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, through a notification issued on October 30 by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, announced the dates for the Census exercise in the states and Union territories covered by the latest order. However, Manipur has been specifically excluded from the schedule "till further declaration".
The notification, issued under Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948, read with Rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990, provides for the population enumeration from January 25 to February 28, 2027, followed by a revisional round from March 1 to March 5, 2027.
It also provides for a self-enumeration facility from January 10 to January 24, 2027, ahead of the house-to-house population enumeration. The reference date for the Census will be midnight of March 1, 2027.
Apart from Manipur, the notification excludes Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, the Union Territory of Ladakh and specified snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir from the schedule announced through the order.
No separate Census schedule for Manipur has been announced in the notification.
Demand for NRC Before Census
The exclusion comes against the backdrop of sustained opposition from various organisations in Manipur to conducting the Census without first implementing the National Register of Citizens.
Spearheaded by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), several organisations, including the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO), United Naga Council (UNC), have maintained that the NRC should be completed before the Census and delimitation exercises are undertaken in the state. They have demanded that 1951 be adopted as the base year for the NRC to identify citizens and establish a verifiable record of the indigenous population.
The demand is rooted in concerns over demographic changes, undocumented migration and the need to establish a reliable population record before undertaking exercises that could have long-term implications for political representation and administrative planning.
The United Naga Council has previously maintained the position of "No Census, No Delimitation before NRC", calling for the implementation of the citizens' register as a prerequisite to the two exercises.
Manipur Assembly Also Adopted Resolution on NRC
The demand has also received attention at the state legislative level. On September 5, 2026, the Manipur Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the implementation of the NRC before conducting the Census in the state.
The resolution called on the Government of India to take up the NRC process, prepare a white paper on the issue and reconstitute the State Population Commission. It also sought action from the Centre within September 2026.
The demand for using 1951 as the base year has remained a central component of the debate, with proponents arguing that an established historical reference is necessary to distinguish indigenous residents from subsequent entrants.
The issue has also been linked to concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise and its possible implications for the state's political and electoral landscape.
Earlier Census Exercise Also Faced Legal and Administrative Hurdles
The Census-related process in Manipur has already faced delays amid disagreements over the sequence of population enumeration, the NRC demand and related administrative decisions.
On August 31, the proposed exercise was deferred following a review involving the Ministry of Home Affairs, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan.
Separately, a Division Bench of the Manipur High Court, comprising Chief Justice M. Sundar and Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma, kept the house-listing exercise in abeyance until October 12.
The developments came amid demands from various organisations that the state should first establish a citizens' register before proceeding with the Census and subsequent delimitation.
No Fresh Timeline Announced for Manipur
The October 30 notification has now formally specified the Census schedule for the states and Union territories covered by the order while keeping Manipur outside the announced timeline until a further declaration.
However, it does not indicate when the Census exercise will be taken up in Manipur or whether a separate schedule will be announced after further consultations.
The latest development leaves the question of conducting the Census in Manipur unresolved, with demands for the NRC and the adoption of 1951 as its base year continuing to remain central to the state's political and administrative discussions.
