Itanagar, April 16 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh has become another northeastern state to initiate preliminary work for the Census of India 2027, with the process officially commencing on Thursday, officials said.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein actively participated in the exercise from Itanagar and Namsai, respectively.

In a social media post, the Chief Minister stated: “I took part in the self-enumeration phase of the houselisting and housing census under Census 2027, completing my own self-enumeration for the very first time through geo-tagging and digital mapping.”

He noted that the self-enumeration phase will remain open from April 16 to April 30, 2026, offering every household the opportunity to participate digitally and submit accurate information.

This phase will be followed by houselisting and housing census field operations from May 1 to May 30, 2026, during which designated enumerators will visit households to collect data, Khandu added.

“I urge every household to actively participate during the self-enumeration phase and extend full cooperation to enumerators during field visits. Please ensure that your information is complete and accurate,” the Chief Minister said.

Deputy Chief Minister Mein, in a post on his official X account, said: “As the statewide self-enumeration phase of Census 2027 begins today in Arunachal Pradesh, I participated in the process at my residence in Namsai, completing my enumeration digitally through geo-tagging and mapping for the first time.”

He described Census 2027 as a vital national exercise that supports development planning and enhances public service delivery through reliable data.

The self-enumeration phase will continue from April 16 to April 30, 2026, followed by field visits by enumerators from May 1 to May 30, 2026, Mein reiterated.

He appealed to all households to participate actively and support census officials.

“Providing accurate information will significantly contribute to better planning and inclusive growth for our state,” he said.

Mein also informed that he completed the process in the presence of Deputy Commissioner Namsai-cum-Principal Census Officer C.R. Khampa, Joint Director of Census (DCO Shillong) Utpal Sarma, along with other officials and census personnel.

“Let us all come together to fulfil this important national responsibility,” he added.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day in Mizoram, Governor General Vijay Kumar Singh (Retd) formally marked the launch of the intensive houselisting and housing census operations under Census 2027 at Lok Bhavan in Aizawl.

The Governor urged census field functionaries to carry out their duties with utmost dedication and sincerity, ensuring that no household is left out.

He emphasised the need to clearly explain the census process to individuals who may find it difficult to understand, so that every person and household is accurately enumerated.

Describing the initiative as India’s first-ever digital census, General Singh expressed confidence in its successful execution and called upon the public to extend full cooperation to census officials and enumerators.

–IANS

sc/pgh