Image Source Mar 04, 2021 13:56 IST · 6 min read
The Registrar-General of India (RGI) is preparing to conduct field trials of the first phase of the Census and the National Population Register (NPR) using a mobile application in all the States and Union Territories.
The Centre is on track to push the 2021 Census to 2022 on account of the country's continuing preoccupation with COVID-19.
The exercise was to be conducted in two phases - House Listing and Housing Census from April to September 2020 and Population Enumeration from February 9 to February 28, 2021.
The first phase - House Listing & Housing Census and the updating of the National Population Register (NPR) were initially to be rolled out in some States on April 1, 2020 ahead of the Census, but were postponed due to the pandemic.
The updation of the NPR become controversial due to its link with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019.
Many State governments have said the NPR would not be implemented. While the Centre is in charge of the census, the State governments are expected to provide staff whenever required.
Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019, sought to give citizenship to persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
What is the National Population Register (NPR)?
The NPR is a database containing a list of all usual residents of the country. It is generated through house-to-house enumeration during the "house-listing" phase of the census, which is held once in 10 years.A usual resident for the purposes of NPR is a person who has resided in a place for six months or more, and intends to reside there for another six months or more.
NPR collects basic demographic data and biometric particulars, on the other hand the census involves a detailed questionnaire.
During this process, once the basic details of the head of the family are taken, the enumerator issued an acknowledgement slip. This slip may be required for enrolment in NPR, whenever that process begins.
Once the details are recorded in every local, sub-district, district and State level, there will be a population register at each of these levels. Together, they constitute the National Population Register(NPR).
The Union Home Ministry clarified that no person needs to submit any documents during the house-to-house survey for updating the NPR.
NPR is a mechanism outlined in a set of rules framed under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
The NPR is the first step towards establishing the NRC.
In 2010 and 2015, the NPR collected details on 14 parameters only. It already has an electronic database of more than 119 crore residents.
What is National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC or NRC)
Out of the NPR, a set of all usual residents of India, the government proposes to create a database of "citizens of India". Thus, the NRC is a sub-set of the NPR. The NRIC will be prepared at the local, sub-district, district and State levels after verifying the citizenship status of the residents.The particulars of every family and individual found in the NPR shall be verified and scrutinized by the local registrar. In the process, details of those "whose citizenship is doubtful" will be entered with a comment suggesting further inquiry.
The "family or individual with doubtful citizenship" will be informed and given an opportunity of being heard by the Sub-district or Taluk Registrar of Citizen Registration before a final decision is made on excluding them from the NRC. The decision should be made within 90 days.
After this, a draft of the "Local Register of Indian Citizens" shall be published to invite objections or claims for inclusion or corrections. Any objection or request for inclusion must be made within 30 days of the publication of the draft. The sub-district or taluk registrar shall summarily dispose of the objections within 90 days.
Thereafter, the entries in the Local Register will be transferred to the National Registrar.
The government has not yet notify a date for NRIC nor it prescribed rules for documentary proof that would be required to prove citizenship. Document that shows date of birth or place of birth, or both will be accepted, and those unable to produce documents may produce witnesses or other proof supported by members of the community.
According to Section 14A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (which was inserted in 2004), the Central Government may compulsorily register every citizen of India and issue a "national identity card" to him; and it may maintain a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC or NRC).
So far, there has been no decision on introducing a national identity card.
What is the Difference Between NPR and NRC?
National Population Register (NPR) is a database of people living in India, citizens or otherwise, but National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a database of Indian citizens. The NRC process demands proof of citizenship from the respondents. Those found without proof may face action.The NPR exercise has been opposed by many States and citizens groups because the Citizenship Rules 2003 link it to the creation of a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) or National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The government has denied that the NRC and the NPR are linked. There is no direct link between NPR and CAA.
Census 2021-22
The census provides information on size, distribution and socio-economic, demographic and other characteristics of the country's population.The Census was first started under British Viceroy Lord Mayo in 1872. The first synchronous census in India was held in 1881. Since then, censuses have been undertaken uninterruptedly once every ten years.
The responsibility of conducting the Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Incidentally, the Registrar General is also the country's Census Commissioner.
Census is legally backed by the Census Act, 1948.
The Census is one of the most credible sources of information on:
1) Demography.
2) Economic Activity.
3) Literacy and Education.
4) Housing & Household Amenities.
5) Urbanization, Fertility, and Mortality.
6) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
7) Language.
The census involves a detailed questionnaire aimed at eliciting the particulars of every person, including age, sex, marital status, children, occupation, birthplace, mother tongue, religion, disability and whether they belonged to any Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.
What is Citizenship Amendment Acr, 2019 (CAA) ?
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, amended the "Citizenship Act of 1955" to grant citizenship to religiously persecuted people of 6 minorities group from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan.Amid concerns that Muslims were being marginalised the bill got president's accent on December 12, 2019 while passed in Rajya Sabha on December 11 and in Lok Sabha on December 9, 2019.
According to the Act, the refugees of the six communities (Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian) who came to india from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014 and have faced "religious persecution or fear of religious persecution" in their countries of origin will be given Indian citizenship.
One separate coulmn will be added to citizenship form and the requirement to reside in India will be relaxed to five years from eleven years for applicants of these 6 minorities from three countries.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill would not apply to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the area covered under the Inner Limit notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.
The amendment is intended to save the victims of partition who got stcuck in east and west pakistan, they are unable to produce valid document of their origin hence are forced to wait for 11 years to get citizenship through normalization.
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are muslim republics where muslims are in majority, hence they can not be treated as persicuted minority.