The clarifications given by the Union Home Ministry that no person needs to submit any documents during house-to-house enumeration for updating National Population Register and that the information provided by individuals would be accepted and recorded are quite contrary to what is stated in National Population Register (NPR) manual. (“No documents need to be produced for NPR: Ministry,” Jan. 2). The manual clearly states that the government has decided to update the existing NPR database by verifying the details collected by the enumerators after house to house survey, including the details of Aadhaar card number, mobile number, voter identification card number, passport number, and driving licence number. The details of the birth place of father and mother are also stated to be included in an additional column. When the existing database is going to be updated for NPR, the Ministry’s statement that no documents would be required to be produced, is amusing. From the above, it is very clear that the updated information collected for NPR would form the basis for National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise. The government is trying to implement NRC exercise through backdoor method, in spite of the Prime Minister’s assertion that an NRC is not on the table. To gain the confidence of the people, the government should be transparent in its actions, and not mysterious, in its dealings.
D. Sethuraman,
Chennai
