Mizoram to Count Refugees in Census 2027, Aadhaar Disclosure Not Mandatory
Aizawl: Mizoram Census 2027 will include refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh, along with people displaced by the ethnic conflict in Manipur, officials have confirmed. The decision was announced during a state-level conference in Aizawl on October 10 as the state stepped up preparations for the second phase of the national population enumeration exercise.
Officials clarified that including refugees in the census will not grant them Indian citizenship. They also said that residents who do not wish to disclose their Aadhaar numbers must not be forced to do so.
Mizoram Census 2027 to Include Refugees and Displaced People
The second phase of the census will cover people residing in Mizoram, including refugees from neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh and internally displaced people (IDPs) from Manipur.
The exercise will record their presence as part of population enumeration. Census officials have clarified that the collection of demographic information is separate from the determination of citizenship.
Mizoram has been hosting people who fled Myanmar following the military takeover in 2021, as well as people displaced by violence in Manipur. Their inclusion will help ensure that the population living in the state is covered in the enumeration exercise.
Aadhaar Disclosure Will Not Be Mandatory
Officials said residents who are unwilling to share their Aadhaar numbers cannot be compelled to disclose them during the census.
They also clarified that people excluded from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), for any reason, will still be counted in the census.
The census and the revision of electoral rolls serve different purposes. Being counted in the population enumeration does not automatically establish a person’s eligibility for inclusion in the electoral rolls or confer citizenship.
All 16 Scheduled Castes to Be Counted
The second phase of Mizoram Census 2027 will also include caste enumeration for the first time, covering all 16 Scheduled Castes residing in the state, officials said.
Chief Secretary Khilli Ram Meena chaired the state-level conference in Aizawl to review preparations for the exercise. He stressed the importance of accurate and comprehensive data collection, noting that census information would support policymaking and contribute to the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Meena urged officials to complete the work within the stipulated timeframe and said Mizoram should aim to become the first state to complete the census.
Training for Census Staff to Finish by November
Deputy Director of Census Operations Jamil R. Swer briefed officials on the procedures for the second phase and outlined the proposed training arrangements.
Training for master trainers, field trainers, enumerators and supervisors is scheduled to be completed by November. Each enumerator is expected to cover approximately 800 people.
The Centre has allocated ₹19.19 crore to Mizoram for conducting the second phase of Census 2027, officials said.
The state is now preparing its field teams and administrative arrangements to ensure that the population enumeration is carried out accurately and within the prescribed schedule.
