The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved Rs 8,500 crore for updating the National Population Register (NPR), which is said to be the first step in implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Government has been preparing for the National Population Register (NPR) amid the ongoing protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Under the NPR, a census will be conducted from house to house across the country from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2020, in all the states/union territories, except Assam.

Its aim is to create a database of the comprehensive identity of common residents of the country. This data will also contain biometric information along with demographics.

The NPR is a list of “usual residents” of the country. A “usual resident” is defined for the purposes of NPR as a person who has resided in a local area for the past six months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next six months or more.

The NPR initiative started in 2010 under the Manmohan Singh government.

The data was updated in 2015 by conducting a door-to-door survey. The digitisation of the updated information has been completed.

Meanwhile, amid nationwide tensions and consequent protests against the Citizenship Act, the West Bengal and Kerala governments have reportedly stopped work on NPR.

The Kerala government on Friday said it has ordered stoppage of all activities in connection with the National Population Register (NPR) in the state considering ‘apprehensions’ of the public that it would lead to NRC in the wake of the controversial CAA.

While a government order said the NPR had been put on hold in view of apprehensions that it would lead to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said the action was taken as the NPR “deviates from Constitutional values”.

It also cited pendency of the matter before the Supreme Court.

Kerala government’s announcement came days after the West Bengal government stayed all activities relating to the preparation and updating of the National Population Register (NPR) in the state, amid furore over the citizenship law.

Amid raging protests, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed in both the Houses of the Parliament.

On December 12, President Ram Nath Kovind, in a late night order, gave his assent to The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, letting it become an Act.

According to the Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.