National Population Register (NPR)

Recently , the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that the Union government is yet to decide on updating the National Population Register (NPR) alongside the upcoming Population Census 2027.

About National Population Register (NPR)

NPR is a database of usual residents in India, aimed at enhancing governance and welfare delivery through accurate demographic data.
- This includes citizens and non-citizens living in the country for more than six months.
Nodal Agency: Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, (MHA).
Link to Census: The NPR exercise is closely linked to the Census process, with updates being made through household surveys.
Legal Basis: The NPR was first created in 2010 under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and its update is carried out every decade.
Controversy: The NPR, particularly when linked to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), has raised concerns regarding the potential for the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- Critics argue that it could marginalize certain communities, particularly Muslims, and exclude them from citizenship.
Government’s Stand: The government asserts that the NPR is a tool for improving governance and enhancing welfare delivery by ensuring accurate data about residents.

About NPR, NRC And Census of India

Aspect	NPR (National Population Register)	NRC (National Register of Citizens)	Census of India
Introduction	A register of usual residents in India. Introduced in 2010 as part of identity management.	A register containing names of Indian citizens only. First prepared in 1951.	A decadal population enumeration conducted since 1872 (regularly since 1951).
Legal Provision	Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003.	Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules 2003; NRC is a subset of NPR.	Governed by Census Act, 1948.
Conducted By	Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).	Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under MHA (only when notified).	Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, MHA.
Purpose	To create a comprehensive identity database of usual residents for better policy implementation.	To identify illegal migrants and prepare an authenticated list of Indian citizens.	To collect demographic, socio-economic, and housing data for policy planning.
Mandatory/ Optional	Mandatory to provide information.	Voluntary, but individuals must prove citizenship when NRC is conducted.	Mandatory participation, but individual identity is anonymised in data usage.
Information Collected	Demographic and biometric data (linked to Aadhaar during updating), family linkage.	Proof of citizenship through documents: birth certificates, legacy data, etc.	Basic household and individual information: name, age, sex, literacy, etc.
Status	Updated along with 2011 Census; proposal to update with 2021 Census pending.	NRC completed only in Assam in 2019. Nationwide NRC has not been notified yet.	Last Census conducted in 2011 2021 Census delayed due to COVID-19. The next census will also include caste census. It is supposed to be concluded by 2027.
Citizenship Link	Does not determine citizenship; just records usual residents.	Directly linked to citizenship; determines who is a citizen.	Not linked to citizenship; purely a data collection exercise.

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