In its 2021-22 annual report the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has outlined updating the National Population Register (NPR).
Key Points:
About
National Population Register
NPR is a database containing a list of all usual residents of the country.
NPR is a mechanism outlined in a set of rules framed under the Citizenship Act, of 1955.
Its objective is to have a comprehensive identity database of people residing in the country.
It is generated through house-to-house enumeration during the “house-listing” phase of the census.
A usual resident for the purposes of NPR is a person who has resided in a place for six months or more.
Difference between NPR and the NRC:
Unlike the National Register of Citizens, the NPR is not a citizenship enumeration drive, as it would record even a foreigner staying in a locality for more than six months.
Concern:
No clarity on the mechanism for the protection of the vast amount of data that will be collected through NPR.
Advantages:
Streamlining of residents’ data across various platforms.
Helpful to the government in policy-making of social security schemes.