News Highlights:
A recent Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) report on the update exercise of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has flagged serious irregularities.
What is the NRC exercise:
- Background:
- National Register of Citizens, 1951 is a register prepared after the conduct of the Census of 1951 in respect of each village, showing the houses or holdings in a serial order and indicating against each house or holding the number and names of persons staying therein.
- The NRC was published only once in 1951.NRC was first introduced after the 1951 Census of India, and Assam was the first to update this NRC to include the names of the persons along with their descendants whose name was successfully registered in the NRC of 1951 or was found in any of the electoral rolls till the midnight of 24th March 1971
- Purpose of NRC:
- The primary purpose for the introduction and updating of the NRC in Assam was the identification of the illegal immigrants in Assam who had migrated to Assam from Bangladesh during the 1971 war with Pakistan.
- This is a sensitive issue in Assam as many complain of mass infiltrations from the eastern border that erode the Assamese culture and change the region’s demographics.
- Eligibility Criteria for NRC:
- Any persons whose names appeared in the NRC of 1972 or any of the Electoral Rolls till 24th March 1971 (midnight) and their descendants.
- Persons who have registered themselves as per the rules of the Central Government with the Foreigners Registration Regional Officer (FRRO) are not considered illegal migrants or foreigners by any authority.
- Any person who had migrated to Assam on or after 1st January 1966 but before 25th March 1971.
- People who are original inhabitants of Assam and their children and descendants who are citizens of India, provided their citizenship is ascertained beyond a reasonable doubt by the registering authority.
- Persons who can provide any one of the documents issued up to midnight of 24 March 1971 as mentioned in the list of documents admissible for citizenship.
CAG audit report on NRC:
- Findings on NRC exercise:
- The CAG Report ( March 2020) was submitted before the Assam Assembly on December 24th, 2022.
- According to the report, 215 pieces of software were irregularly added to the core software without following the due process to select the software or the vendor.
- The report concluded that a process like the NRC required secure and reliable tools to meet the goals of a valid and error-free NRC document. The haphazard adoption of software could potentially have led to data tampering without leaving behind an audit trail, thereby compromising the outcome of the NRC exercise.
- The costs involved with the project increased from the projected 288.28 Crore to 1602.66 Crore due to the delays in the adoption process.
- CAG Proposed Action:
- Action against the State Coordinator of National Registration (SCNR) for “excess, irregular and inadmissible payments.
- Fixing accountability of the SCNR as the principal employer for “not ensuring compliance with the Minimum Wage Act”.
Impact of NRC:
- Updated NRC shall end speculations about the actual number of illegal migrants in Assam and the country.
- It will provide a verified dataset to carry out meaningful debates and implement calibrated policy measures.
- Publication of an updated NRC deters future migrants from Bangladesh from entering Assam illegally.
- Illegal migrants may find it difficult to procure identity documents of India and avail all the rights and benefits of Indian citizens.
- The publication of the draft NRC has already created a perception that staying in Assam without valid documentation will attract deportation and detention.
Conclusion:
- The process should be carefully audited to ensure that no citizens have been disenfranchised.
- The government can issue work permits to allow migrants to work in India for pre-determined periods.
- The Government of India should clearly define the next course of action for people outside the list and ensure that no communal violence occurs.
- The nearly 40 lakh people outside the list need legal aid and counselling which the government can provide.
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Content Source: The Hindu