NRC Assam
- PC : Self
In August 2019, the final list for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) Assam excluded the names of over 19 Lakh applicants.
Now the question raises what is NRC?
The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the register containing names of Indian Citizens. The only time that a National Register of Citizens (NRC) was prepared was in 1951 when after the conduct of the Census of 1951, the NRC was prepared by recording particulars of all the persons enumerated during that Census.
A total of 3.30 crore applicants had applied to be included in the NRC.
Let us know more about NRC and the applicants who were not included in the NRC.
What is NRC in Assam?
The NRC in Assam as stated above is a list of Indian citizens living in the state. The citizens’ register sets out to identify foreign nationals in the state that borders Bangladesh.
NRC for Indian citizens in Assam was first created in 1951. Manipur and Tripura were also granted permission to create their own NRCs, but it never materialised. The reason behind the move was to identify Indian citizens in Assam amid "unabated" migration from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
The list comprised of those who lived in India on January 26, 1950, or were born in India or had parents who were born in India or had been living in India for at least five years before the January 26, 1950 cut-off.
With the state’s nearly 33 million people having to prove that they were Indian nationals prior to March 24, 1971, the process to update the register began following a Supreme Court order in 2013.
The updated final NRC was released on August 31, with over 1.9 million applicants failing to make it to the list.
Proof of Citizenship
There is one of the basic criteria in Assam to check citizenship.
The name of applicant's family member should either be in the first NRC prepared in 1951 or in the electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971.
Other than that, applicants also had the option to present documents such as refugee registration certificate, birth certificate, LIC policy, land and tenancy records, citizenship certificate, passport, government-issued license or certificate, bank/post office accounts, permanent residential certificate, government employment certificate, educational certificate, and court records.
What will the excluded individuals do?
Non-inclusion of a person's name in the NRC will have the option to present their case before foreigners' tribunals.
If one loses the case in the tribunal, the person can move the high court and, then, the Supreme Court.
In the case of Assam, the state government has clarified it will not detain any individual until he/she is declared a foreigner by the foreigners' tribunal.
Phases of NRC:
The entire process of NRC Updating consists of the following phases:
1. Legacy Data Publication Phase
2. Application Form Distribution & Receipt Phase
3. Verification Phase
4. Publication of NRC Part Draft
5. Complete NRC Draft Publication & Receipt of Claims and Objections Phase
6. Final NRC Publication.
