By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, APRIL 05, 2018: THE Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Revised Cost Estimates (RCE) of the scheme of Updation of National Register of Citizens (NRC), 1951 in Assam at a cost of Rs. 1220.93 crore upto 31.12.2018.

The scheme of NRC, 1951 is specific to state of Assam covering about 3.29 crore applicants.

Benefits:

The exercise will help in preparation of National Register of Citizens in Assam.  31st December, 2018 is the proposed date for publication final NRC.  A part Draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam covering 1.90 crore persons out of 3.29 crore applicants has been published on 31st December, 2017 including names of those applicants in respect of whom the entire process of verification has been completed.

The verification of remaining applicants isat various stages of scrutiny and the complete draft NRC will be published by 30.06.2018, whereafter claims and objections will be received and disposed off leading to the publication of the final NRC.

Details:

The NRC Assam is being updated as per the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. It will include persons whose names appear in any of the electoral rolls upto the midnight of 24th March, 1971 or National Register of Citizens, 1951 and their descendants.

3.29 crore persons have applied alongwith 6.63 crore documents in 2015 for inclusion of their names in NRC. Thereafter extensive field and document verification has been done in respect of each applicant.

Implementation strategy and targets:

The actual implementation of NRC update is done by the Statutory Authorities i.e.Local Registrars and District Magistrates appointed by the State Government. A senior official of the State Government functions as State Coordinator and coordinates with the RGI/Government of India in regard to various activities.

The NRC update work is done under the supervision and control of the Registrar General of Citizen Registration (RGI). The administrative and operational matters are handled by the State Government as per their extant rules.

Major impact:

The preparation of NRC is the most extensive citizen engaging exercise, which touches the life of every resident of Assam. It is part of the action for the fulfilment of Assam Accord and understanding arrived in a tripartite meeting held in 2005 at the level of Prime Minister. The National Register of Citizens, Assam will contain the names of genuine Indian citizens and will help the government to check illegal immigration in India.

Background:

The NRC Assam, the Register containing names of Indian Citizens in Assam, was prepared in 1951 as a non-statutory process by recording particulars of all the persons enumerated during 1951 Census. The Assam agitation (1979-85) against the illegal foreigners led to the signing of Assam Accord on 15th August 1985 between the Central Government, State Government, All India Students' Union (AASU) and All Assam GanSangramParishad (AAGSP), which stipulated 24th March, 1971 as the cut-off date for identification and deportation of illegal migrants from East Pakistan (Bangladesh). Accordingly, the Citizenship Act, 1955 was amended by inserting section 6A as special provisions for Assam.

In a tripartite meeting of the Central Government, State Government and AASU chaired by the Hon'ble Prime Minister in May, 2005, it was agreed to update NRC, 1951. The modalities were approved by the Government of India in consultation with the Government of Assam.

In pursuance of the Supreme Court's direction, the exercise of NRC update in Assam commenced in December 2013 to be completed over a period of three years. The Supreme Court is continuously monitoring the progress of NRC update and has given various directions from time to time.