Context

Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed to amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 to require Registrar General of India to maintain a national database of registered births and deaths. It can be utilized with Centre’s approval, to update National Population Register (NPR) prepared under Citizenship Act, 1955.

About

What is NPR?

• It is a list of “usual resident of country.”
• A “usual resident of country” is one who has been residing in a local area for at least six months, or intends to stay in a particular location for six months.

Background

• The data for NPR was first collected in 2010 along with the house listing phase of Census 2011.
• However, with the use of Aadhaar as the key vehicle for transfer of government benefits in the last few years, the NPR has taken a back seat.

How NRC and NPR related?

• Out of the NPR, a set of all usual residents of India, the government proposes to create a database of “citizens of India”.
• Thus, the “National Register of Indian Citizens” (NRIC) is a sub-set of the NPR.
• The NRIC will be prepared at the local, sub-district, district and State levels after verifying the citizenship status of the residents.
• The rules say the particulars of every family and individual found in the Population Register shall be verified and scrutinized by the Local Registrar.