CM says discrepancies in Nagaland’s population figures have created complications in Aadhaar coverage and school enrolment
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday called for a clean and accurate population enumeration in the upcoming Census of India 2027, cautioning that inflated census data has created complications in areas such as Aadhaar coverage and school enrolment in Nagaland.
Addressing a briefing session on Census-2027 held at the State Banquet Hall at the Chief Minister’s Residential Complex in Kohima, Rio said the decadal population growth rate of Nagaland has shown inconsistencies when compared with the national average.
He therefore urged elected representatives and political party leaders to help correct such discrepancies through responsible leadership during the census exercise.
Referring to Nagaland as a predominantly Christian state, the Chief Minister appealed to all participants not to take pride in wrongful practices or unhealthy competition, but to uphold honesty and integrity during the enumeration process.
The briefing session was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers TR Zeliang and Yanthungo Patton, Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Sharingain Longkumer, several Cabinet ministers and members of the Legislative Assembly.
Senior bureaucrats present included Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen, Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha, Commissioner Nagaland Gregory Thejawelie and Director of Census Operations Zasekuolie Chusi. Representatives from various political parties and party functionaries also attended the programme.
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Delivering the welcome address, Sentiyanger Imchen stressed the importance of conducting an accurate census, noting that reliable population data is essential for planning and implementing government projects and development initiatives.
Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha presented an overview of Census-2027, followed by a detailed presentation by Dr Chusi on the methodology, processes and challenges involved in the census exercise.
Dr Chusi also appealed to participants to strive for a clean census by avoiding the enumeration of duplicate individuals and any deliberate inflation of population figures, stating that such practices undermine the integrity of socio-economic data used for policy formulation and developmental planning.
A discussion followed during which several questions were raised and clarifications provided by officials and elected representatives.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Commissioner Nagaland Gregory Thejawelie.
