Shillong, April 30: The first fully digital Census of the country will kick off across the country, including Meghalaya, with self-enumeration by citizens from 1-15 May 2026.
Making the announcement in a press conference on Thursday, Director of Census Operations Meghalaya, Biswajit Pegu, said, “Census 2027 will be a landmark exercise, being the 16th Census overall and the 8th since Independence.”
This is for the first time that the entire Census process – from enumeration to data analysis – will be conducted digitally using mobile applications and the Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) portal.
Citizens will have the option of self-enumeration through an online portal from May 1 to 15.
“This facility allows individuals to fill in their household details, which will subsequently be verified by enumerators during house-to-house visits,” Pegu said.
According to the official, the initiative will enhance transparency, accuracy, and public participation in the Census process.
The first phase of the two-phase Census 2027 will include Self-Enumeration and House Listing Operations (HLO).
Following the self-enumeration period, HLO will be conducted from May 16 to June 14, 2026, during which enumerators will collect data on housing conditions, assets, and basic amenities through a structured questionnaire comprising 33 questions.
Phase II, Population Enumeration, will take place in February 2027, with the reference date set as March 1, 2027.
“Digital transformation will ensure improved data quality through pre-loaded questionnaires in mobile applications and faster processing, enabling timely publication of results,” Pegu said.
On methodology, he said, “Data collection will be carried out through dedicated mobile apps used by enumerators and supervisors on smartphones. The CMMS portal will manage all activities including training, monitoring, and formation of geo-coded House Listing Blocks through the HLB Creator (HLBC). Self-enumerated data will be verified during field visits before final submission.”
Addressing privacy concerns, Pegu assured that “robust safeguards have been implemented to maintain confidentiality.”
He stressed that “individual and household-level data will not be disclosed, and only aggregated data at various administrative levels will be released for policy formulation and development planning.”
“Mobile numbers collected will be used only for communication and verification purposes,” he added.
He further informed that approximately 9,000 enumerators and supervisors will be deployed across the state, with a strong multi-layer supervision mechanism to ensure data accuracy.
“The Census will cover all normal and institutional households, while certain categories such as foreigners and diplomatic personnel will be excluded during the HLO phase.”
A national toll-free helpline – 1855 – has been launched in preparation for Census 2027.
“The helpline has been established to assist citizens with queries related to the census process, including house-listing operations and population enumeration,” Subhasish Chatterjee, Joint Director, Directorate of Census Operations, Meghalaya, said.
Meanwhile, the administrative boundaries of Meghalaya have been frozen as of December 31, 2025, for Census purposes.
The exercise will be conducted under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners as Principal Census Officers, supported by Charge Officers, Supervisors and Enumerators.
The officials, through the media, urged the public to actively participate in the Self-Enumeration process and extend full cooperation to enumerators to ensure accurate and reliable data for inclusive development and evidence-based governance in Meghalaya.
They emphasised that equally important is the role of public awareness, highlighting that media professionals play a vital role in disseminating accurate information, dispelling misconceptions, and enabling citizens to participate with confidence and clarity in Census 2027.
