What is NPR ? National Population Register

What is NPR ? National Population Register

The NPR is a register of the usual residents of the country. It contains information collected at the local (village/sub-town), subdistrict, 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.NPR was first done in 2010 and was later updated in 2015 when it was linked with the Aadhar. The Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner describes NPR as "a register of usual residents of the country." An usual resident for the purpose of NPR is a person who has resided in a place for 6 months or more and intends to reside there for a period of another 6 months or more.

The following demographic details of every individual were taken for NPR in 2010 : 

• Name of person 
• Relationship to head of household
• Father's name 
• Mother's name 
• Spouse's name (if married) 
• Sex 
• Date of Birth
• Marital status 
• Place of birth Nationality (as declared)
• Present address of usual residence 
• Duration of stay at present address 
• Permanent residential address 
• Occupation/Activity 
• Educational qualification    

Who formulate NPR ?

The preparation of the NPR is carried out under the aegis of the Central Government. Under Rule 3(4) of the 2003 Citizenship Rules, the Central Government can decide the date by which the NPR should be prepared. The data for National Population Register was first collected in 2010 alongwith the houselisting phase of Census of India 2011. The updation of this data was done during 2015 by conducting door to door survey. On July 31, 2019, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued the gazette notification for starting the information collection for NPR throughout the country (except Assam) between April 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020. The Registrar General, India acts as the National Registration Authority for NPR. Incidentally, the same officer also functions as the Registrar General of Citizen Registration for NRC.

Diffrence Between NPR and Census ?

While the process of NPR and Census will begin simultaneously, the two databases are not same.Census is an exercise carried out under the Census Act, 1948. Census data is based on self-declaration made by the persons without verification. NPR is carried out as per the 2003 Citizenship Rules. Under these Rules, it is compulsory for a person to share the demographic data for preparation of NPR. Therefore, these Rules have a coercive element, as they penalize non-cooperating persons with fines and penalties. Failure to comply with the NPR data collection can expose one to penal consequences under Rule 17. It may be noted that both these processes are carried under the supervision of a single office : the Office of Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner.

The census provides detailed and authentic information on demography, economic activity, literacy and education, housing and household amenities, urbanisation, fertility and mortality, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, language, religion, migration, disability besides others.

The census, 2021 will be done in two phases. In the first phase, the work of house-listing or housing census will be conducted from April to September 2020. In the second phase, the enumeration of the population will be done from February 9 to February 28, 2021, with reference moment as 00:00 hours of March 1, 2021. For snow-bound areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be October 1, 2020. With a history of more than 130 years, this reliable, time tested exercise has been bringing out a veritable wealth of statistics every 10 years, beginning from 1872 when the first census was conducted in India non-synchronously in different parts.

What Documents Needed For NPR ?

During the NPR, a respondent will not require to produce any document. As per a statement was given by Home Minister Amit Shah to news agency ANI, NPR information will be self-attested, that is, whatever information is provided by the respondent will be deemed correct and no documents or biometric would be required.

How NPR is diffrent than NRC ?

There is no link between National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).National Population Register is a database of people living in India, citizens or not, but National Resgiter of Citizens is a database of Indian citizens. The NRC process demands proof of citizenship from the respondents. Those who found in wnat of the proof may face deportation or detention in long run. But in NPR, there is no need to provide any document.

What is the Use Of NPR ?

If Census is already present in India then the question remains that why does government need NPR. The officials say that NPR data helps identify the demographics of actual residents who will be direct beneficiaries of any schemes launched in the area. For example, a majority of permanent residents of an industrial town in Gujarat may be Gujarati speaking, but the majority of current residents may consist of Hindu speaking people from various parts of the country. The NPR data will help government design and adapt schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Jandhan Yojna, or medium of instruction in schools as per the current demographics, thus making the schemes more effective.

Will anyone lose Citizenship because of NPR ?

The simple answer is NO. According to the statement given by Amit Shah (Home Miniser of India)

''It is possible that some names are missed in the NPR, still their citizenship will not be revoked because this is not the process of NRC. The NRC is a different process. I want to make it clear that nobody will lose citizenship because of NPR,"

When It will be Conducting ?

The process of collecting information for NPR will start in April 2020 and will be completed by September. NPR will be conducted across India, including Assam state  that has already gone through the National Register of Citizens. Gazette notification for the forthcoming NPR has been published by the central government in August.

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