Census 2027 will play a vital role in development planning across sectors and requires active public participation to ensure accurate and comprehensive data collection, Director of Census Operations, Nagaland, Kenei Miachieo said on Wednesday, June 17.

Addressing a press conference in Kohima, Miachieo said the first phase of Census 2027, known as the House Listing Operation (HLO), will be conducted across the State from July 1 to July 30. The second phase of the census is scheduled to be carried out in February 2027.

He said the upcoming census will incorporate digital technologies, allowing households to opt for self-enumeration through an online census portal. Enumerators will also collect information using mobile applications, while data processing and analysis will be carried out digitally.

Miachieo emphasised the importance of public awareness and cooperation, noting that one of the key lessons from the 2011 Census was the need for effective outreach to ensure the accuracy of information provided by citizens.

To facilitate the exercise, awareness campaigns are being conducted across more than 1,600 villages and urban local bodies in the State.

Officials said the census operation in Nagaland will cover all 17 districts, 118 sub-divisions, 39 statutory towns, five census towns and 1,606 villages.

A total of 6,461 personnel have been deployed for the exercise, including 17 principal census officers, 157 master trainers, 130 field trainers, 1,016 supervisors and 5,118 enumerators.

"We are executing a massive administrative mobilisation to ensure full coverage and accuracy," an official said.

The census is expected to provide critical demographic and socio-economic data that will guide policy formulation and development planning in the State and across the country.