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Cabinet clears NPR update, Census; no need for biometrics
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- Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi, recently approved over Rs. 3,941.35 crore for updating National Population Register(NPR) across the country, barring Assam, & ₹8,754.23 crore for conducting Census of India, 2021.
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- National Population Register (NPR):
(1) The was NPR started in 2010 and is an exercise that has to happen every 10 years.
(2) There is no need to give proof, documents, biometrics. The government trusts the people.
(3) NPR household data was provided to several State governments in the past — Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Manipur, Odisha, for public distribution scheme (PDS)- said senior MHA official.
(4) The NPR was updated in 2015 by seeding it with biometric details of Aadhaar & that the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) is based on the NPR data-said a govt. official
(5) “Household wise NPR data was used in better targeting of schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, Jan Dhan Yojana, Prime Minister Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Saubhagya etc,” the official claimed.
- Citizenship Rules, 2003
(1) Direction to centre: State clearly that the Centre, by issuing an order, can decide on date to prepare the NPR.
(2) NRC Creation: They also provide for the creation of a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC), or the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is being bitterly opposed by people across the country, that will flow from data gathered in the NPR.
(3) Citizenship: According to the Rules, a person’s citizenship status will be decided by local officials — whether or not the person will figure in NRIC or not.
(4) No new law or rules are needed to conduct this exercise across the country.
- Officials Stand:
(1) There is no proposal to create NRC in the country based on NPR data. No biometric is being collected.
(2) No documents are being collected at the time of door-to-door enumeration.
(3) The register was being updated for transparent and efficient delivery of social benefits by linking it with various government schemes, the official added.
- 2021 Census:
Sources
The Hindu