by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Census Commission contradicts Home Minister on Biometric
Says Biometric particulars Required for NPR
Census Commission is under Amit Shah
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Dec. 25
Union Home Minister Amit Shah categorically asserted yesterday in a TV interview that no supportive documents will be sought from the usual residents while National Population Register (NPR) exercise. He also clarified that no biometric data will be collected during NPR exercise except the Aadhaar number, if any.
But if one goes to the website of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India (RGCCI), one can find the NPR page link updated as late as December 19, 2019. Interestingly, the RGCCI functions directly under the Union Home Minister of India.
The RGCCI page on NPR clearly says “the objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The database would contain Demographic as well as Biometric particulars.”
The NPR page link also says, “It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. A usual resident is defined for the purposes of NPR as a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more.
The RGCCI notification is very unambiguous also says that the The National Population Register (NPR) is a Register of usual residents of the country and prepared under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
The NPR notice says that under the Demographic Particulars, following demographic details of every individual are required for every usual resident. These are as under; 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 and Educational qualification
No doubt, the first NPR was conducted under the UPA dispensation when P Chidambaram was the Union Home Minister. But the same NPR data base was updated during 2015 by conducting door to door survey.
The RGCCI says that the digitisation of the updated information has been completed and the Gazette notification for conducting 2020 Census and NPR has already been issued.
It is, therefore, baffling as to why the website of the department conducting Census and NPR exercises contradict the Home Minister.
See page link
