National Population Register: NPR needs to be updated again, says Home Ministry report

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs in its 2021-22 annual report has said that there was a need to update the National Population Register (NPR).

The report, published on Monday (November 7), has underlined the need to update the NPR database across the country, except Assam. Through this, changes in the demographic data due to births, deaths and migration in the country will be identified and recording information of people and their families will also be possible, said the report.

The ministry report stated that due to Covid-19 pandemic, the work of updating the NPR and other field activities had come to a halt.

The home ministry added that the people will be able to update the NPR data themselves. No documents or biometrics will be collected during the updation. The Central government has approved a budget of Rs 3,941 crore for the same.

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The report stated that the NPR has been prepared under various provisions of the Citizenship Rules, 2003 made under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The name, gender, date of birth, place of birth, place of residence, father`s and mother`s name were updated and Aadhaar number, mobile number and ration card numbers were collected. The ministry said that the register needs to be updated to include the changes due to births, deaths and migration.

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The NPR was prepared in 2010 and was updated in 2015. Several political parties opposed it and alleged that it was a step towards making the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

According to the report, from April 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, a toatl of 1,414 people across the country were provided certificates of citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The ministry apprised that the District Magistrates of 29 districts and Home Secretaries of nine states have been empowered by the government to grant Indian citizenship after investigation to the people from the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian and Parsi communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.