360 degree approach to dispel rumours about NPR, MHA tells House panel
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First part of Census-House itemizing & Housing Census and NPR had been to be rolled out in some States on April 1 final however was postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has knowledgeable a parliamentary panel that “right kind of messaging will be done to tackle the miscommunication and rumours around NPR and Census.”
The first part of Census-House itemizing & Housing Census and the National Population Register (NPR) had been to be rolled out in some States on April 1 final however was postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19.
“A 360 degree approach for communicating the right and clear message on the NPR has been planned to be followed. All kinds of media, i.e. social media, AV , digital, outdoor, print and word of mouth publicity tools are part of the planned media strategy. Right kind of messaging will be done to tackle the miscommunication and rumours around NPR and Census 2021,” the MHA was quoted within the 226th motion taken report by authorities on the suggestions/observations contained within the 224th on calls for for grants (2020-21).
The report was introduced to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu in December 2020 and a duplicate was laid on the desk of the House on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai stated in a written reply within the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that “the demographic and other particulars of each family and individual were to be updated/collected during the exercise of update of NPR” and “no document is to be collected during this exercise.”
He stated, “The government was in discussions with the States having concerns in regard to the preparation of the NPR. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the first phase of Census, update of the NPR and other related field activities have been postponed”.
‘Fear among people’
The parliamentary committee, headed by Congress’s Anand Sharma, whereas discussing the calls for for grants report on February18 , 2020 noticed that there was plenty of dissatisfaction and concern amongst folks relating to the approaching NPR and Census.
To this, the MHA responded in one of many subsequent conferences, “As per the provisions contained in Section 15 of the Census Act, 1948, all individual level information collected in Census are confidential. In Census, only aggregated data are released at various administrative levels. Questionnaires for Census along with that of NPR have been tested at Pre-test conducted successfully across the country. It has been clarified at various levels in Government time and again that till now no decision has been taken to create National Register of Indian citizen.”
The committee was of the view that Aadhaar information must be used within the coming Census to scale back the duplicacy and wastage of expenditure.
The MHA replied that “NPR was envisaged as a database containing comprehensive demographic information as well as biometric information with photograph, ten fingerprints and two iris images of all usual residents. The scheme of allotting unique identity number to all usual residents i.e. Aadhaar number was planned by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) using the demographic and biometric information. Subsequently, Aadhaar number has been developed as a separate database, which is being used only for de-duplication purpose and authentication of beneficiaries of various Government schemes.”
The MHA additional stated, “Aadhaar is individual data. In Aadhaar database, consolidated details of a family is not available nor from this database can a family structure be created without visiting each household and collecting information such as relationship among family members. However, NPR database is created by collecting family-wise data and it can be strengthened by linking Aadhaar to each member. Various welfare schemes of State and Central Governments are generally family based for which NPR data may be used.”
The NPR’s hyperlink with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) and but to be carried out Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, has been opposed by many States. Citizenship Rules framed in 12 months 2003 says that the NPR is step one in direction of compilation of a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) or the NRC. The NPR was first collected in 2010 and up to date in 2015.
The CAA handed by Parliament on December 11, 2019, permits citizenship on foundation of faith to six undocumented communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or earlier than December 31, 2014. There are apprehensions that the CAA, adopted by a national NRC, will profit non-Muslims excluded from the proposed residents’ register, whereas excluded Muslims may have to show their citizenship. The authorities has denied that the CAA and the NRC are linked.
More than 60 individuals died in protest and violence that erupted after the CAA was handed in December 2019.
