Kohima : The first phase of Census 2027, focusing on house listing and housing, will begin in Nagaland in July 2026, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Thursday.

Speaking during a meeting in Kohima, Rio said the upcoming census would be a significant exercise for the state and called on elected representatives and political party leaders to cooperate in ensuring accurate data collection.

The chief minister noted that the decadal population growth rate of Nagaland has shown inconsistencies when compared with the national average and urged responsible leadership to help correct such discrepancies.

Rio also said inflated census data had created complications in areas such as Aadhaar coverage and school enrolment figures, stressing the need to avoid multiple entries during the enumeration process.

Referring to Nagaland as a predominantly Christian state, the chief minister appealed to all stakeholders not to engage in wrongful practices or unhealthy competition but to uphold honesty and integrity during the census exercise.

Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen highlighted the importance of conducting an accurate census, saying reliable data is essential for planning and implementing government projects and development programmes.

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

Chusi urged participants to ensure a clean and accurate census by avoiding duplicate enumeration and deliberate inflation of population figures, noting that such practices undermine the integrity of socio-economic data used for policy planning and government schemes.

Deputy chief ministers T. R. Zeliang and Yanthungo Patton, Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Sharingain Longkumer, along with cabinet ministers, MLAs and senior officials, were present at the meeting.