2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags: The Citizenship Act 1955

NATIONAL REGISTER OF CITIZENS IN ASSAM

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topics covered: NRC, Why is it updated? Advantages to India

News Flash

Over one lakh people were excluded from the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam after they were found ineligible.

The persons were declared ineligible during the process of verification carried out by the Local Registrars of Citizens Registration (LRCRs).

National Register of Citizens of Assam

The National Register of Citizens, or NRC, is the list of Indian citizens in Assam. It is being updated to weed out illegal immigration from Bangladesh and neighbouring regions. It was prepared in 1951, following the census of 1951.

Why NRC being updated?

The NRC will be now updated to include the names of those persons (or their descendants) who appear in the NRC, 1951, or in any of the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24th March, 1971 or in any one of the other admissible documents issued upto mid-night of 24th March, 1971, which would prove their presence in Assam or in any part of India on or before 24th March, 1971.

How did NRC verification begin in Assam?

After the order of the Supreme Court in 2013, the process of updating NRC begins.
In order to wean out cases of illegal migration from Bangladesh and other adjoining areas, NRC updation was carried out under The Citizenship Act, 1955, and according to rules framed in the Assam Accord, along with the provisions of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity cards) Rules, 2003.

What are the benefits of being registered in the NRC?

The NRC will form the basis for the detection of illegal migrants, inclusion will protect against harassment and a ticket to enjoying all the constitutional rights and safeguards and the benefits of government schemes.

Requirement for inclusion in NRC?

There will be two requirements for inclusion in updated NRC

1.) existence of a person’s name in the pre-1971 period.

2.) proving linkage with that person.

Background

The demands to update the NRC of 1951 were first raised by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Assam Gana Parishad.
The organisations had submitted a memorandum to the Centre on January 18, 1980.
On November 17, 1999, at an official-level tripartite meeting to review the implementation of the Assam Accord, a decision was taken that the NRC would be updated.
Later, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led government took the final decision to update NRC on May 5, 2005.

The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity cards) Rules,2003

It states that for the formation of the National Register of Indian Citizens

(1) The Registrar General of Citizen Registration shall establish and maintain the National Register of Indian Citizens.

(2) The National Register of Indian Citizens shall be divided into sub-parts consisting of the State Register of Indian Citizens, the District Register of Indian Citizens, the Sub-district Register of Indian Citizens and the Local Register of Indian Citizens and shall contain such details as the Central Government may, by order, in consultation with the Registrar General of Citizen Registration, specify.

The Citizenship Act, 1955

This act mentions four ways in which a person may be Indian citizen viz. by birth, by descent, by registration and by naturalization. Citizenship by birth and descent are called natural citizens.

Source: The Hindu Businessline

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