Updating the National Population Register (NPR) and the first phase of the Census 2021 have been postponed due to the 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of Novel Coronavirus COVID-19. They were supposed to be carried out from April 1 to September 30. As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, Census 2021 was scheduled to be conducted in two phases: house listing and housing census during April-September and population enumeration during February 9 to 28. The updating of NPR was also proposed to be done along with the Phase I of Census 2021 in all the states and union territories, except Assam. Everything is being postponed until further orders.
According to Citizenship Rules 2003, the NPR is the first step towards compilation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC). The modified NPR form is yet to be made public but is likely to include contentious questions on “date and place of birth of father and mother, last place of residence and mother tongue.” NPR was first collected in 2010 and then updated in 2015 without the additional questions.
