Shillong, May 1: In a major shift from traditional paper-based surveys, Meghalaya will roll out a fully digital Census 2027, introducing online self-enumeration for the first time, with the initial phase set to begin from today.
At a press conference held at the Shillong Press Club, the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Shillong, in collaboration with the Directorate of Census Operations, Meghalaya, detailed the roadmap for the upcoming census exercise.
Director of Census Operations, Meghalaya, Biswajit Pegu said the census remains the country’s most comprehensive official enumeration, capturing demographic, economic and social data of every household and individual at a fixed point in time.
He underscored that the exercise is conducted under the Census Act, 1948 and governed by the Census Rules, 1990, with the subject falling under Entry 69 of the Union List of the Constitution.
Calling it a “landmark exercise,” Pegu said Census 2027 will be the eighth census since Independence and the sixteenth overall since India’s first census in 1872. “For the first time, the entire process—from enumeration to data processing and analysis—will be carried out digitally using dedicated mobile applications compatible with Android and iOS devices,” he said.
A key feature this year is the introduction of self-enumeration, allowing citizens to submit household details online. In Meghalaya, the self-enumeration phase will run from May 1 to May 15, 2026, followed by the House Listing Operations (HLO) from May 16 to June 14, 2026.
Officials said enumerators will still conduct door-to-door verification using mobile applications to validate self-submitted data. The process will be overseen through the Census Management and Monitoring System (CNMS), enabling real-time tracking of training, deployment and field operations.
To ensure accuracy and coverage, authorities will deploy geo-tagging and digital mapping tools to create enumeration blocks, reducing the risk of omissions and improving data reliability.
The Census 2027 exercise is expected to play a crucial role in shaping future policy decisions, welfare planning and resource allocation at both state and national levels.
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