Modi Cabinet approves NPR and Census 2021

Modi Cabinet has approved for the updation census and the national population Register or NPR on Tuesday last week.

The census work shall begin in 2021, but NPR updation work, except Assam, shall commence in April 2020 to September 2020 in all the 29 states and the 7 Union Territories.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has granted the proposal of expenditure fund Rs 3941 Crore for the updation of NPR and for the Census, Rs 8754.

What is the meaning of NPR or National Population Register?

NPR is a register for the residents of India or the usual residents normally. The registration of Indian origin residents is mandatory under the NPR. It is also mandatory for the foreign citizen residents in India including Indian. The intention behind NPR is to prepare the identification of a mass database of people residing in India.

The first ever NPR was prepared in 2010 and its updation work was done by going on survey at the doors of every homes in year 2015. Now with the house listing phase in the population census in 2021 shall run under once again updating from April 2020 to September 2020. This shall commence under the provisions of Citizenship Law 1955 and Citizenship Rule 2003(Registration of Citizensd and Issue of National Identity Cards) at villages, Panchayats, Districts, and States and at National Level.

What means Usual Residents?

According to the citizenship rule 2003, a usual resident is that who is residing since past 6 months in the area or wants to live here more than 6 months. The database what shall be prepared under NPR includes biometric information with the population statistics. The Informations under this provision what shall be taken are; namely, Aadhar, Mobile Number, PAN, Driving License, Voter ID and Indian Passport Number. The sharing of Aadhar's Information has been given up on people's own will by the ruling of SC. The informations what are going to be collected under Population Statistics are -- Name, Relation with the Head of House, Names of parent, Spouses of married, Gender, DOB, Single or Married, Profession and the Educational Qualification.

 In the last NPR which held in 2010 had collected the information under 15 points, but had been collected no informations regarding parents DOB and the birth place besides the residential addresses. The NPR 2010 data collection work was done in the censul collection of 2011.

What is census?

The populations counting is done in the census work. It is done in every 10 years. The census is the 16th Indian Population counting in 2021. The first of census was held in 1872. However it is 8th of post Independence census. The data collection of census of 2021 shall be the first ever to be done through using mobile app.

What does differ in NPR and NRC?

The NPR differs from the NRC or the National Register of Citizens. NRC does not include the foreign citizens. The citizenship rules had been notified on December 10th, 2003. The NRC had been emmerged under this rule in which Indian citizens, who are residing in India or out of India, are to be inlisted in 1 register. The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, had said last week on Tuesday that there is no co-relation between NPR and NRC. He added even this that the NPR datas shall not be used in NRC, but the annual report of home ministry released for the year 2018-2019 that NPR is the first phase of NRC. However the Union Minister, Prakash Javedkar, has said that the NPR is the census registration, nor the citizen register.

            He added that NPR has no relation with the NRC. Many contradictory statements have been surfacing even from the Government.

Which of the states have denied implementing the NPR?

The West Bengal CM, Mamta Benerjee, have announced that she would not implement NRC and CAA in her state. Mamta Benerjee had said, “The NPR work can not be commenced in the state without the permission of state Government. The non-BJP ruling Government after CAA have announced for the non-cooperation in the NPR and NRC.

Why has been Assam held isolate from the NPR?

NPR shall not be applicable in Assam. NRC had been implemented in Assam and the illegal immigrants had been arrested under this act. The purpose of NRC is to return them back by identifying the illegal immigrants.

Why the NPR is being protested?

Many political parties are to say that the NPR can’t be seen different from NRC in the same way the statement about the CAA is that it should be looked as a complement of NRC. Ali Imran Ramj, MLA OF Forward Block, has contended against, “If you want to stop NRC, you have to stop NPR”. There has been hatching a conspiracy or strategy to dispose the duo works in the name of census. If any State Government is against NRC, it shall have to stop NPR. The then Home Minister for States, Kiran Rujuju, on 23rd July 2014 had given a written statement, “that the Government has decided to make National Register of Indian Citizens”. This will be done on the basis of NPR.