Mizoram launched India's first digital census on April 16, 2026, uniquely including over 37,000 foreign refugees and displaced persons in its enumeration, setting a national precedent for inclusive demographic data collection.
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Mizoram has made history by becoming the first state in India to roll out a fully digital census, while simultaneously taking the unprecedented step of including foreign refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in its population count. The move sets a significant national precedent and is expected to draw attention from key central government ministries and national security agencies.
The first phase of the census — centred on house listing and housing data — was formally inaugurated on April 16, 2026, by Mizoram Governor Vijay Kumar Singh at Lok Bhavan. In a symbolic demonstration of the state's digital-first approach, the Governor's own official entry was processed by an enumerator using a Self Enumeration ID (SE-ID) generated from his online self-enumeration, which he had completed earlier on April 7.
A digital self-enumeration window had been made available to the general public until April 15. With that period now closed, field enumeration will proceed through the canvasser method, wherein officials will go door-to-door — equipped with mobile applications — to collect and verify household data from April 16 through May 15. Governor Singh has strongly urged citizens to cooperate with the process to ensure that no household is left uncounted.
In a decision poised to draw scrutiny from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and national security establishments, Mizoram has opted to enumerate all displaced populations currently residing within its borders. According to Home Department data, the state is presently hosting over 28,000 refugees from Myanmar, approximately 2,300 refugees from Bangladesh, and nearly 7,000 IDPs from the neighbouring state of Manipur. All these individuals will be recorded irrespective of their living arrangements — be it private residences, rented accommodations, or designated relief camps.
To pre-empt concerns surrounding the inclusion of non-citizens, the Directorate of Census Operations has underscored that the census is strictly a population enumeration exercise with no linkage whatsoever to citizenship verification. Senior census officials, including Deputy Director Jamil, have emphasised that counting displaced populations is essential to accurately reflect the state's demographic realities and to assess the true strain being placed on local infrastructure and resources. This inclusive approach, officials argue, enables more effective planning and equitable resource allocation based on the state's actual population size.
Following the conclusion of the current house-listing phase, the second phase of the census is scheduled for February next year. This stage will involve a detailed population enumeration capturing comprehensive socio-economic and demographic information, including age, gender, religion, language, education, and marital status. Authorities have also indicated that a limited window for online participation may be made available to the public during this subsequent phase.
