Need for phones with 8 GB RAM raises concern among Census enumerators in J&K
Census enumerators in Jammu and Kashmir are facing technical hurdles as their personal mobile devices fail to meet the 8 GB RAM requirement for the upcoming digital Census 2027. Officials are currently seeking resolutions to ensure the accuracy of data collection in these remote regions.
Why it matters
The transition to digital-first government services often faces infrastructure and hardware barriers in developing or remote regions.
The issue of Census enumerators and supervisors having mobile devices below the required configuration in snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was discussed at a meeting chaired by Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) Amit Sharma in Doda on Thursday (August 20, 2026).
Census 2027 is the country’s first-ever digital Census exercise, and enumerators, mostly school teachers and government employees, are required to capture the data through apps on their personal phones.
Officials informed the meeting about the “technical challenges” faced by field functionaries. It was explained that the mobile devices to be used for the upcoming Population Enumeration exercise are required to have a minimum of 8 GB of RAM and Android 13 or above.
“The issue of enumerators and supervisors having devices below the required configuration was discussed for appropriate resolution,” a statement from the CPCO said.
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