Imphal: The Manipur High Court has directed that the Census 2027 exercise in the state remain in abeyance until April 30, 2027, asking the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to examine seven representations and pass a reasoned order by that date.
A division bench of Chief Justice M Sundar and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma passed the order on November 4 while hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Kangleipak Students' Association (KSA) and the International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA), along with a connected writ petition filed by Shanta Singh Nahakpam.
The court said the existing notifications keeping the census exercise on hold would remain in force until April 30, 2027. It directed the Census Commissioner to consider the seven representations on their merits and dispose of them through a common, reasoned order.
The petitioners had raised concerns over conducting the population count while thousands of people remain displaced by ethnic violence in Manipur. They argued that the exercise could lead to inaccurate population records and make it difficult to identify and enumerate internally displaced persons.
The representations seek a range of measures. These include postponing the census until the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is updated, recording the original place of residence of displaced people and issuing specific instructions to enumerators and supervisors working in conflict-affected areas. One representation also sought independent monitors to prevent possible manipulation and raised concerns over population figures in nine hill sub-divisions.
Three memoranda submitted to the Union Home Ministry and the Prime Minister also called for updating the 1951 NRC before the census. The proceedings referred to resolutions passed by the Manipur Assembly on August 5, 2022, and March 1, 2024, seeking implementation of the NRC.
The Centre had informed the court on August 31 that house-listing operations for Census 2027 in Manipur had been deferred. The state government had also assured the court that the exercise, scheduled to begin on September 1, 2026, would not commence. Subsequent notifications were issued on September 5 and October 30.
The court has allowed individuals and organisations to submit further representations by November 25, 2026. The petitioners may also submit additional material within the same period.
The authorities may hold public consultations while examining the representations. If they decide not to do so, they must record their reasons in the final order.
The decision must be communicated to the petitioners' counsel within five working days of being issued and uploaded on the official websites of the Manipur government and the Census Commissioner. The census will remain suspended for four weeks after the decision, allowing anyone aggrieved by it to approach the High Court.
The court disposed of the petitions while leaving the parties' rights and contentions open.
With inputs from media reports