The Home Department has issued directives seeking public cooperation for the smooth conduct of Census 2027 in Nagaland.
As per the notification, the first phase of Census 2027, which includes House-listing and Housing Census, will be conducted in the State from 1st July 2026 to 30th July 2026. The option for self-enumeration will remain available from 16th June 2026 to 30th June 2027.
The second phase, comprising Population Enumeration, will be carried out across the country in February 2027, followed by a revisional round from 1st to 5th March 2027.
The Census is the primary source of statistical data at the lowest administrative levels, covering villages in rural areas and towns and wards in urban areas. It collects information on housing conditions, amenities and assets, demography, literacy, religion, economic activity, migration, fertility, and other key indicators. The data is used for planning, policy formulation, and public administration by the Central, State, and Union Territory governments.
The public has been urged to extend full cooperation to census officials and provide accurate information during the exercise.
The notification also cites provisions of the Census Act, 1948. Section 8 empowers census officials to ask questions and makes it mandatory for individuals to respond truthfully, with an exception regarding disclosure of names of female household members.
Section 9 requires occupiers of houses or premises to provide access to census officials and permit necessary marking or numbering for census purposes.
Section 10 provides for the filling of census schedules by occupiers or managers of households and establishments, and their submission after completion.
Section 11 prescribes penalties for obstruction of census work, refusal to provide information, or furnishing false details, including fines and imprisonment in specified cases.
Section 15 states that census records are confidential and not open to inspection, and that such records are not admissible as evidence in legal proceedings, except in cases related to offences under the Act.
