HC puts Census 2027 in Manipur on hold till April 30

The Manipur High Court has put the Census 2027 exercise in the state on hold until April 30, while the Union government considers concerns raised about conducting the exercise amid the displacement of residents following ethnic violence that broke out in the state in May 2023.

The court directed the registrar general and Census commissioner to decide on the representations by April 30.

It further said that the Census would remain on hold for four weeks after the representations were disposed of, allowing the petitioners or anyone aggrieved by the decision to approach the High Court.

The directions came in response to a public interest litigation that raised concerns about the accuracy of population records and the identification of internally displaced persons in the state.

The petitioners have demanded special measures for the state before conducting the exercise, including recording the original place of residence of displaced persons, issuing special instructions to enumerators and supervisors working in conflict-affected areas, and instituting independent monitoring to prevent manipulation.

One of the representations also seeks to postpone the exercise until the update of the National Register of Citizens, an exercise to create a list of Indian citizens and to identify undocumented immigrants.

The first phase of Census 2027, involving house listing, was scheduled to begin in Manipur...

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