National Population Register: Govt yet to clear air on documents required
The Union Cabinet has cleared the updation of the National Population Register (NPR) across the country, barring Assam. With this, there is a lot of ambiguity on the kind of documents that would be sought from citizens. It is unclear whether the government would ask the people to present themselves for a biometric exercise.
The NPR data was first collected in 2010 and five states, namely, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Manipur, and Rajasthan used the data collected by the Registrar General of India for planning.
Also read: In 2014, Centre admitted to NPR-NRC link, but Amit Shah sings another tune
The NPR was updated in 2015 by seeding biometric details of Aadhaar. The NPR data was initially collected through door-to-door enumeration. As Aadhaar coverage saturation is said to be 98 percent, the biometric data collection for NPR may not be required for most citizens.
The details will be updated by government officials through enrollment camps that will be held in different localities. Citizens will be informed beforehand on the time and location of these camps. All usual residents who are above the age of five are expected to attend the enrollment process even if their biometric data has already been collected.
During the NPR updation exercise in 2010, the government had sought the following details:
- Name of person
- Sex
- Date of birth
- Marital status
- Nationality
- Occupation
- Educational qualification
- Place of birth
- Father’s name/Mother’s name/Spouse’s name
- Relationship to head of household
- Current address for usual residence
- Duration of stay at current address
- Permanent residential address
The government has added the following details to the already sought information for NPR updation in 2020:
- Aadhaar Number (voluntary)
- Date and Place of Birth of Parents
- Mobile Number
- Place of Last Residence
- Passport Number (if you are an Indian passport holder)
- Voter ID Card Number
- Permanent Account Number (PAN)
- Driving Licence Number
If one does not possess the documents to provide the details mentioned above, not to worry. Home ministry sources have said that, while it is compulsory to register with the NPR, the eight additional details including Aadhaar number, PAN, and driving license number can be given on voluntary basis.
