Arvind Sharma
JAMMU Tawi, Nov 14: Amit Sharma, the Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO) and Director of Census Operations/Director of Citizen Registration, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, has been selected by the Government of India (GoI) to lead an Indian delegation to Trinidad and Tobago for an important Bilateral Technical Assistance Mission on Census Preparedness, being coordinated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The mission is scheduled to take place in the last week of November in the Caribbean nation, where comprehensive population enumeration and census activities are planned for March-April 2027.
The visiting Indian delegation will travel to Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, where the country’s Central Statistics Office (CSO), with the support of UNFPA, will organise technical sessions, discussions, field visits and interactive programmes.
Amit Sharma has been selected as a subject specialist and also as an expert to lead the mission, reflecting the recognition of his experience in census operations, particularly in the challenging geographical conditions.
He will be accompanied by D. Helen Premakumari, Deputy Director General, Directorate of Census Operations, Karnataka, representing the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Office of the Registrar General of India.
Four officers from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will also be part of the delegation.
During the visit, the Indian officers will share their experience and best practices in successfully conducting census operations in India.
A major focus will be on India’s first paperless census and the use of digital technologies in population enumeration, including how these models and practices could be adapted and replicated in Trinidad and Tobago.
The selection of Amit Sharma is particularly significant in view of his role in leading Census 2027-related preparations and operations across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
As part of the ongoing bilateral technical assistance initiative, officials from Port of Spain had earlier visited India to study the Indian model of surveys and census operations.
The forthcoming visit of the Indian delegation is part of this reciprocal engagement, aimed at extending technical support to Trinidad and Tobago ahead of its scheduled census in the first half of 2027.
When contacted, Amit Sharma expressed gratitude to the Government of India, particularly Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, for selecting him to lead the important UNFPA mission.
He expressed confidence in the preparedness of the Indian delegation, stating that the team was equipped with the necessary facts, figures and technical expertise to facilitate meaningful interactions with officials in Trinidad and Tobago and contribute towards strengthening the country’s preparations for its forthcoming population survey and census.