Imphal, Aug 31: The Manipur High Court has put on hold the census-related exercise scheduled to begin on September 1, amid sustained demands by civil society groups for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the exercise. The development was announced by Shanta, spokesperson for a coalition of 14 civil society organisations (CSOs) and a petitioner in one of the cases, following a hearing before a Special Division Bench of the High Court, on Monday. Shanta said the court directed that the census process, including the house-listing exercise scheduled to begin on Tuesday, remain withheld until further notification from the Registrar General of India (RGI). The High Court, through a notification dated August 28, had constituted a Special Division Bench to hear PIL No. 14 of 2026 - The Kangleipak Students Association (KSA) and Another vs Union of India and 4 Others - and WP(C) No. 623 of 2026 - Shanta Singh Nahakpam vs Union of India and 5 Others - along with connected miscellaneous matters. The court's intervention comes amid a sustained campaign by the 14 CSOs seeking an NRC update before the Census exercise. The issue has been pursued through legal proceedings, public mobilisation and political engagement. Shanta said the campaign should not rely solely on street agitation and called for a coordinated approach involving legal and political channels. “People must understand the different strategies adopted by the CSOs and community leaders, particularly efforts to pursue the issue through institutional and legal avenues,” he said. Defending the organisations' recent outreach in New Delhi, Shanta said their delegation had met political leaders across party lines, besides retired IAS and IPS officers, lawyers, former politicians and others with expertise on the issue. “The outreach should be viewed as a collective effort involving multiple stakeholders and political viewpoints,” he said. Shanta also called for wider consultation on the issue, stressing that Manipur comprises multiple communities and stakeholders. “We are not only the Meitei community living in the state of Manipur. We have different stakeholders,” he said. He urged the Centre to bring all stakeholders together to discuss mechanisms to safeguard the interests and identity of Indian citizens in Manipur. Monday's development came amid continuing protests over the NRC demand, including a 24-hour strike called by the Joint Democratic Front (JDF) ahead of the September 2 Assembly session. The detailed High Court order is awaited and is expected to clarify the precise scope of the direction, including how long the census-related exercise will remain on hold.