National Population Register | Questionnaire is being finalised, says Registrar General of India

The workplace of the Registrar General of India (RGI) has mentioned the schedule or the questionnaire of the National Population Register (NPR) is “being finalised” and the details about the anticipated date of first part of Census 2021 is “not available.”

The RGI response got here in reply to a query filed by The Puucho beneath the Right to Information (RTI) Act searching for data on the anticipated date of the primary part of Census 2021 and an replace of the NPR that was earlier scheduled to start April 1, 2020. The train was postponed indefinitely till additional orders on March 25 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NPR replace and the primary part of Census-House itemizing & Housing Census had been to be performed concurrently from April-September. Even although the dual train was to be rolled out first in Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) space on April 1, the RGI mentioned within the RTI reply on November 17 that “the schedule of NPR is being finalized.”

As many as 13 States and Union Territories have opposed the replace of the NPR as a result of its hyperlink with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). According to the Citizenship Rules framed in 2003, the NPR is step one in direction of compilation of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) or NRC. The NPR was first collected in 2010 after which up to date in 2015. Some States akin to West Bengal and Rajasthan have objected to further inquiries to be requested within the recent NPR akin to “date and place of birth of father and mother, last place of residence and mother tongue”.

Fears over CAA

The CAA handed by Parliament on December 11, 2019 permits citizenship on foundation of faith to 6 undocumented communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India on or earlier than December 31, 2014. There are apprehensions and fears that the CAA, adopted by a country-wide NRC, will profit non-Muslims excluded from the proposed residents’ register, whereas excluded Muslims should show their citizenship. The authorities has denied that the the CAA and the NRC are linked.

Understanding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019

In an RTI reply in March, A.K Samal, Deputy Registrar General, mentioned the method pertaining to Census 2021 had been evolving in nature and the disclosure could create confusion within the discipline and hamper the census work of nationwide significance. “Hence these are not being provided under Section 8 (1) of the RTI Act, 2005,” he said.

Section 8 (1) of the Act bars offering any data the “disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence”.

The Puucho had sought the “details of the Conference of the State/UT Chief Secretaries and Administrator organised by the Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner in New Delhi on January 17, 2020” and requested for a duplicate of the minutes of the assembly. Mr. Samal responded that minutes of the convention haven’t been ready and the displays had been ready for inner use and deliberations on preparation of Census 2021.

21 parameters

In 2019, the “pretest” or the trial NPR kind collected particulars from 30 lakh respondents final on 21 parameters, searching for particular particulars on “place of birth of father and mother, last place of residence” together with different data like Aadhar (elective), voter ID card, cell phone and driving license numbers. In 2010 and 2015, the NPR collected particulars on 14 parameters.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) knowledgeable a parliamentary panel earlier this yr that there was have to replace the NPR to “incorporate the changes due to birth, death and migration” and “Aadhaar is individual data whereas NPR contains family wise data.” The MHA knowledgeable the panel that it proposes to gather particulars on further questions akin to “date and place of birth of parents” within the NPR to “facilitate back end data processing and making the data items of date and place of birth complete for all household[s]”.