Tags Current Affairs

Issue

The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to conduct Census 2021 and update the National Population Register (NPR).

 

Background

While the Census will be conducted in 2021, the NPR update will take place from April to September 2020 in all the States/UTs except Assam. It will be conducted under Home Ministry.

 

Details

• The NPR is a register of usual residents of the country. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. It includes both Indian citizens as well as a foreign citizen.

• The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country.

• It is being prepared at the local (Village/sub-Town), sub-District, District, State and National level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.

 Usual resident

According to the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, a usual resident is a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more.

 

Details for NPR

• The demographic details of every individual are required for every usual resident on 21 points which includes ‘date and place of birth of parents’, last place of residence, Permanent Account Number (PAN), Aadhar ( on a voluntary basis), Voter ID card number, Driving License Number and Mobile Number.

• In the last NPR done in 2010, the data was collected on the 15 points and it did not include ‘date and place of birth of parents’ and last place of residence.

Difference between NPR and NRC

• The NPR is different from the National Register of Citizens which excludes the foreign citizens.

• A Population Register is ‘the register containing details of persons usually residing in a village or rural area or town or ward or demarcated area (demarcated by the Registrar General of Citizen Registration) within a ward in a town or urban area.

• Whereas, the ‘National Register of Indian Citizens’ is a register containing details of Indian Citizens living in India and outside India.

• National Register of Indian Citizens’ shall contain the particulars of every citizen i.e. Name; Father’s name; Mother’s name; Sex; Date of birth; Place of birth; Residential address (present and permanent); Marital status  if ever married, name of the spouse; Visible identification mark; Date of registration of Citizen; Serial number of registration; and National Identity Number.

• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register of all Indian citizens whose creation is mandated by The Citizenship Act 1955 as amended in 2003.