Amid concerns, a meeting of Chief Secretaries of states and Census directors is being held at the Ambedkar Bhawan in Delhi to discuss the next census and the National Population Register (NPR).
The meeting is being chaired by MoS Home Nityanand Rai and Union Home Secretary AK Bhalla.
Principal Secretary (General Administration Department, Kerala) KR Jyothilal, meanwhile, has informed that Kerala will attend the meeting called by the Ministry of Home Affairs to discuss census, NPR and seek suggestions on training and appointment process for Census and NPR.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Government had informed that all states have issued re-notification of National Population Register while adding that Kerala and West Bengal have communicated to the Centre to put NPR on hold.
Amid concerns expressed by opposition parties and states like West Bengal and Kerala on the National Population Register (NPR), the Home Ministry has said no documents will be asked or biometric taken while updating the register.
Ministry officials have said that “no papers will be asked” and “no biometrics will be taken” during the exercise.
However, the information available on the website of the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner says that the NPR database would contain demographic as well as biometric details.
The NPR, since it is linked to the Census, is seen as the first step towards a nationwide exercise to implement the National Register of Citizens.
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. Then, Population Enumeration will be conducted from February 9 to February 28, 2021.
Meanwhile, according to MHA sources quoted by IANS, PAN card details being asked during National Population Register (NPR)-2020 Pretest have been removed from the list of a questionnaire to be prepared for the final exercise and a new question seeking information about “mother tongue” has been added to it.
The decision was taken by the Registrar General of India (RGI) after witnessing people showing “hesitation” while sharing PAN card details to the enumerators during the Pretest of the exercise conducted between August 12 and September 30, 2019.
Also, this time, the National Population Register will include 21 fields including father’s and mother’s places of birth, last place of residence along with other information like Aadhaar (optional), Voter ID card, mobile phone and driving license numbers.
In 2010 and 2015, the exercise involved 14 parameters.
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.
Meanwhile, amid nationwide tension and massive protests against the Citizenship Act, West Bengal and Kerala governments have reportedly stopped work on NPR.
The Kerala government has said it has ordered stoppage of all activities in connection with the National Population Register 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”.
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 in the state, amid furore over the citizenship law.
On December 24, last year, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Rs 8,500 crore for updating the NPR.
Informing on the same, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had stated that the process is “self-declaratory and requires no document as proof”.
“All states will use NPR data,” said the minister adding that no biometrics will be required and it will apply to all Indian citizens.