SHILLONG: The State Government has decided to seek clarification from the Deputy Commissioners following questions and complaints regarding the appointment of school teachers for Census duties, which could potentially impact the education of students.
The Minister in charge of the General Administration Department (GAD), Sosthenes Sohtun, clarified that the government will carefully review the reports from the DCs to ensure that the work is conducted smoothly without affecting academic activities.
The data collection for the census will take place over a 30-day period from May 16 to June 14, 2026, during which enumerators are required to visit approximately 150 to 200 households, averaging about seven to ten houses per day.
The Minister explained that the census operation is of utmost importance as it is being conducted for the first time in 15 years, following the inability to hold it in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding the complaints that this affects teachers, Sohtun stated that teachers are the most suitable individuals to complete this task and noted that under Section 27 of the Right to Education Act 2009, the use of teachers for Census work is permitted.
He further added that teachers can perform these duties after school hours so that classes are not disrupted, and he urged everyone to take responsibility for ensuring the success of this significant national undertaking. The Census 2027, which is being conducted digitally, consists of two phases.
The first phase involves self-enumeration, which began on May 1 and runs until May 15, and was officially launched by the Governor of the state, C. H. Vijayashankar, at Lok Bhavan.
Following this, enumerators will conduct house-to-house visits to verify information related to housing and other requirements. The second phase, which is the actual population enumeration, will take place in February 2027.
The government has appointed approximately 9,000 enumerators and supervisors across the entire state and has organized a three-day training program to prepare staff for using mobile apps and the CMMS portal to collect all necessary data.
