Question : NATIONAL POPULATION REGISTER

(a) whether the Government has directed the Registrar General of India to identify the `citizens` and `non-citizens` while preparing the National Population Register (NPR);

(b) if so, the details thereof and the objective behind this move;

(c) whether the role of Aadhaar is likely to be diminished as a result thereof;

(d) if so, whether the existing Aadhaar database will be handed over to the NPR to carry out an address verification in line with its security norms and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether any time frame has been fixed to complete the NPR and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (b): The Citizenship Act 1955 was amended in 2003 by inserting Section 14-A, which states that the Central Government may compulsorily register every citizen of India and issue national identity card to him and may maintain a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) and for that purpose establish a National Registration Authority(NRA). Therefore, it is a legal obligation.

(c) to (d): The information is being collected from UIDAI.

(e): The scheme of NPR has been reviewed and it has been decided that NPR should be completed and taken to its logical conclusion, which is the creation of NRIC by verification of citizenship status of every usual residents in the NPR. Relevant proposal will be prepared based on the decision of the Government.