NPR, first phase of Census postponed
With a 21-day lockdown to contain the virus spread, the Centre on Wednesday postponed the updating of the contentious National Population Register (NPR) and the first phase of the Census 2021. The house listing and housing enumeration of the Census 2021 and NPR were to be carried out simultaneously from April 1 to September 30.
With the 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of COVID -19 having come into force, the Centre on Wednesday postponed the process of updating the contentious National Population Register (NPR) and the first phase of the Census 2021.
The house listing and housing enumeration of the Census 2021 and NPR were slated to be carried out simultaneously from April 1 to September 30.
There have been widespread protests across the country since midDecember against the amended Citizenship Act (CAA), NPR, and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
In the wake of the lockdown, protesters have vacated most protest sites, including the one in the national capital’s Shaheen Bagh.
In a statement, t he home ministry said Census 2021 was scheduled to be conducted in two phases —house listing and housing census during April-september and the second phase of population enumeration from February 9 to 28, 2021.
The updating of NPR was proposed to be done along with the Phase I of Census 2021 i n all the states and Union territories, except Assam.
However, some of the state governments had either passed resolutions in their respective Assemblies, or issued orders, that they will carry out the NPR based on the 2010 questionnaire and not the revised one.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also assured in Parliament that none will be asked to show any documents during t he NPR process, or marked ‘D’, or ‘doubtful’ citizen category. But, misgivings about the NPR process have remained since the Citizenship Act Rules of 2003 state that the NPR process will be followed by preparation of a National Register of Indian Citizens.
There have been demands that this should be amended and the provision related to the NRC process deleted.
Census 2021 and NPR were earlier slated to be carried out simultaneously from April 1 to September 30