“The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register which is containing the names of all genuine Indian residents.”
Purpose of NRC–National Register of Citizens
The purpose of the NRC is to record all the legitimate residents of India with the goal that the illegal migrants can be recognized and deported to their countries. It has been executed for the benefit of Assam and it began in 2013–2014 The Government of India intends to actualize it for the remainder of the nation in 2021.
Background of NRC- National Register of Citizens
It was the Central Government who first introduced the NRC in Assam, in 1951, to know about the citizens, their homes, and their property. All Assam Students Union raised the demand to update the NRC in 1975.
Assam NRC
Assam is a border State. With the unique problems of illegal immigration, the Assam had a register of citizens created for it in 1951, which was based on the 1951 census data. But afterwards, no one maintained this data. The Parliament passed the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal Act, 1983), to create a separate tribunal process to identify illegal migrants in Assam. The Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional in 2005, after which the Government of India agreed to update the Assam NRC.
Progress
The final updated National Register of Citizens for Assam, published on 31 August 2019, contained 31 million names out of its population of 33 million, leaving out 1.9 million applicants. These 1.9 million inhabitants who were not on the rundown were at risk of becoming stateless. In the process of updating of NRC-National Register of Citizens, the finding was that the list includes some illegal migrants and excludes the several legitimate citizens. The register was made in Assam because “illegal movement from Bangladesh has for some time been a concern”. The Amendment of the 1955 Citizenship Act, to a limited extent, helps non-Muslims who are most certainly not in the register and face arrest or deportation.
Steps were taken by the government for NRC- National Register of Citizens
The ruling government of BJP has promised to implement the NRC-National Register of Citizens for all of India in its election manifesto and campaign speeches the 2019 Indian general election. Home Minister Amit Shah, announced the implementation of NRC throughout the country in the Rajya Sabha on 19 November 2019.
Reasons to do NRC in Assam
All Assam Students Union and the citizens of Assam said that the Bangladeshi immigrants should be sent back to their homeland because they have looted their rights and they are also involved in the criminal activities happening in Bangladesh.
How does one prove citizenship?
In Assam, the names of applicant’s family members should in the first NRC prepared in 1951 or the electoral rolls up to March 24, 1971.
Other Options
Other than that, candidates additionally had the alternative to exhibit documents, for example, displaced person enlistment declaration, birth authentication, any LIC policy, land and tenure records, citizenship endorsement certificate, passport, government-provided permit or testaments, bank/post office accounts, lasting private testament, government employment testament, instructive endorsement, and court records.
What happens with the excluded Individuals?
However, the Government said that if the name of the individual is not on the list, it does not mean that he is declared as a foreigner. The individuals have the option to present their cases before the tribunals. If the individual failed in the tribunal to prove his originality, then the person can also move to the High Court and Supreme Court.
In the case of Assam
The Government of Assam clarified to the Individuals that no individual will be detained from the State until he is declared foreigner in the tribunal.
What is the remedy if anyone cannot find legacy data?
The Government of Assam has set up the workplaces, for example, NRC-National Register of Citizens Seva Kendras in each region of Assam, to help individuals in looking for Legacy Data, giving of Legacy Data Code, and in receipt of NRC Application structures.
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