- By Chetna Shree
- Sat, 05 Sep 2026 08:24 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Manipur Census 2027 house-listing operations deferred by Centre.
- Decision follows public demand for NRC implementation first.
- Ministry of Home Affairs issued official deferment notification.
Census 2027: The Central government has deferred the house-listing operations for Census 2027 in Manipur, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday.
The order, issued by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner on September 5, 2026, amends an earlier government notification dated January 7, 2026.
ALSO READ: Manipur Census: Why Centre Deferred Enumeration Exercise In Violence-Hit State? Explained
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 and section 17A of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948) read with rules 6A and 6D of the Census Rules, 1990, the Central Government hereby defers the houselisting operations for Census 2027 for the State of Manipur and for that purpose, hereby makes the following amendment in the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs number S.O. 99(E), dated the 7th January, 2026 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), dated the 7th January, 2026," the notification read.
A welcome and consequential decision for Manipur.
— Khemchand Yumnam (@YKhemchandSingh) September 5, 2026
The deferment of the Census, notified through the Gazette today, reflects the Government of India’s considered attention to the genuine concerns of our people.
My sincere gratitude to Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji and… pic.twitter.com/RRZjZdL6QK
Amendment Excludes Manipur T Further Declaration
The amendment inserts an exception for Manipur, stating that the provision covering "all States and Union territories in India" will now apply everywhere "except the State of Manipur till further declaration."
"In the said notification, after the words "in all States and Union territories in India," the words and brackets "(except the State of Manipur till further declaration)" shall be inserted," it further read.
Why Was The Exercise Deferred
The Central government's decision comes after demands raised by the people of Manipur to defer the Census exercise until the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is implemented.
The issue was addressed on August 31 during a high-level review meeting in New Delhi chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. A statement from the Chief Minister's Secretariat confirmed that the meeting agreed to postpone the proposed exercise considering the feelings and aspirations of the people of Manipur.
The latest Ministry of Home Affairs notification makes this deferment official. However, the Centre has not specified when the house-listing exercise in Manipur will take place.