CHANDIGARH : The Punjab Census Directorate has stepped up preparations for the second phase of Census 2027, with a special focus on ensuring comprehensive population coverage in defence establishments, security force camps and other restricted-access locations across the state. A meeting of State Nodal Officers for Special Charges was held in Chandigarh under the chairpersonship of Dr Navjot Khosa, IAS, Director of Census Operations, Punjab, to review operational arrangements and familiarise the officers with the procedures for Population Enumeration (Phase-II). The deliberations centred on developing a secure, coordinated and time-bound mechanism for collecting population data from locations where access to ordinary civilian enumerators is restricted. These special charges include defence areas, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) establishments, camps, training centres, scientific and research institutions, as well as operational, forward and otherwise inaccessible locations. The meeting underlined that these areas require specific administrative arrangements to ensure that their residents are included in the national population count without compromising security protocols or the accuracy of the exercise. As part of the decisions taken, State Nodal Officers will identify all special charges falling within their respective jurisdictions, estimate the population to be covered and forward the details to the Director of Census Operations, Punjab. A gazetted officer will be designated as the Charge Officer for each such location to oversee the enumeration process and coordinate the work of field personnel. The Census Directorate will supply instruction manuals, blank census schedules, location codes and other required material, while data entry for these areas will be carried out through a dedicated module to be provided by the Office of the Registrar General of India. The meeting also finalised the next stage of capacity-building. Special Charge Officers will undergo training on November 12 at the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR), Sector 26, Chandigarh. Subsequent training for enumerators and supervisors will be organised by the respective Special Charge Officers in coordination with State Nodal Officers, Principal Census Officers and the Punjab Census Directorate. The training of enumerators and supervisors assigned to special charges is to be completed by November 30, ahead of the population enumeration exercise. According to the notified schedule, Population Enumeration in Punjab will take place from December 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027, followed by a revisional round from January 5 to 9. The reference date for the Census in the state has been fixed at midnight on January 5, 2027. The meeting stressed that close coordination among State Nodal Officers, Special Charge Officers and the Census Directorate would be essential to avoid gaps in coverage, complete training within the stipulated period and ensure reliable data collection in locations with special security requirements. The exercise is particularly important because population figures from defence and other restricted establishments form an integral part of the overall Census and must be incorporated through a clearly defined and secure process.