Kohima, March 12 (IANS) The first phase of Census 2027, focusing on house listing and housing, will begin in Nagaland in July 2026, officials said on Thursday.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, during a meeting in Kohima, said that Census 2027 would be a significant and important exercise for the state.

He noted that the decadal population growth rate of Nagaland has shown inconsistencies when compared with the national average and urged all elected representatives and political party leaders to help correct such discrepancies through responsible leadership.

Rio also pointed out that inflated census data has created complications in areas such as Aadhaar coverage and school enrolment figures.

He therefore stressed the need to avoid multiple entries during the census enumeration process.

Referring to Nagaland as a predominantly Christian state, the Chief Minister appealed to all concerned not to take pride in wrongful practices or unhealthy competition, but instead to uphold honesty and integrity during the conduct of the census.

Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen highlighted the importance of conducting an accurate census in the state.

He emphasised that reliable census data is crucial for planning and implementing various government projects and developmental initiatives.

Imchen also expressed appreciation to the Chief Minister for taking the initiative to organise such an important briefing session.

Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha presented an overview of Census 2027, which was followed by a detailed presentation by Director of Census Operations Zasekuolie Chusi on the methodology, processes and challenges involved in the census exercise.

Chusi appealed to the participants to strive for a clean and accurate census by avoiding the enumeration of duplicate individuals and any deliberate inflation of population figures.

He said such practices undermine the integrity of crucial socio-economic data collected through the census and distort the data required for planning and implementation of various government schemes and programmes.

He further emphasised that the census is not merely a headcount exercise but an important source of diverse and essential data required for policy formulation and developmental planning.

Deputy Chief Ministers T.R. Zeliang and Yanthungo Patton, Nagaland Legislative Assembly Speaker Sharingain Longkumer, several Cabinet Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly and senior officials also attended the meeting.

–IANS

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