The Manipur High Court has directed the Centre to keep the Census 2027 exercise in the State in abeyance until April 30, 2027, asking the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to take a reasoned decision on seven representations highlighting concerns over population enumeration, the status of internally displaced persons and the prevailing situation in the State.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice M Sundar and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma directed the census authorities to examine the representations on their merits and issue a consolidated, reasoned order by April 30 next year. The Court further stipulated that the Census exercise must remain suspended for four weeks even after the decision is taken, allowing affected parties an opportunity to challenge the outcome before the High Court.
The directions came in a Public Interest Litigation instituted 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 judgment was delivered on November 4.
The petitioners had questioned the feasibility of conducting a reliable population enumeration in Manipur in the aftermath of ethnic violence, which has resulted in widespread displacement. They raised concerns over how residents living outside their original places of residence would be identified and counted, and whether the proposed exercise could accurately reflect the State’s demographic composition under the prevailing circumstances.
A central concern before the Court was the proper inclusion of internally displaced persons in the Census records, particularly those who have been unable to return to their homes. The petitioners also sought consideration of the resolutions unanimously adopted by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 5, 2022 and March 1, 2024, advocating the introduction and implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the State.
The High Court directed the Registrar General and Census Commissioner to consider all seven representations and permitted the petitioners, along with other interested individuals and organisations, to submit further representations by November 25, 2026.
The authorities have also been given the option of conducting public consultations before finalising their decision. In the event they decide against holding such consultations, they must specifically explain the reasons for dispensing with the exercise in their final order.
To ensure transparency, the Bench directed that the decision be communicated to the petitioners’ counsel within five working days of its issuance and uploaded on the official websites of the Manipur government and the Census Commissioner.
The proceedings originated from challenges to notifications issued by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner on January 7, 2026, and the Manipur government on March 22, 2026, concerning the proposed Census operations. House-listing activities in Manipur were initially scheduled to begin on September 1, 2026.
However, during the hearing on August 31, the Centre informed the High Court that it had decided to defer the house-listing exercise in Manipur. The State government also assured the Court that the enumeration process would not commence on the originally notified date.
The subsequent notifications issued by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner on September 5 and October 30 formalised the deferment.
The Bench clarified that the parties would retain the liberty to approach the High Court if aggrieved by the decision taken on the representations. Any such challenge would be considered independently on its merits.
The Court also recorded its appreciation for the constructive approach adopted by the parties during the proceedings, noting that the matter involved issues of considerable public and national importance and had been addressed in a spirit of cooperation rather than through a purely adversarial contest.
With these directions, the High Court disposed of the PIL and the connected writ petition.
Case: Kangleipak Students’ Association & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.
Bench: Chief Justice M Sundar and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma
Court: Manipur High Court
Date: November 4, 2026
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