National Population Register (NPR)

• National Population Register (NPR) is a comprehensive database of all usual residents of India
• Prepared at local, sub-district, district, state and national levels
• Aims to support better governance, planning and policy formulation
• Has generated debate due to its perceived linkage with NRC
• Usual resident refers to a person:
  • Residing in an area for six months or more, or
  • Intending to reside for the next six months
• Registration is mandatory for all usual residents

Legal and Administrative Background

• Provided under the Citizenship Act, 1955
• Governed by Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003
• Implemented by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India
• Operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs
• First data collection conducted in 2010
• Last update through door-to-door survey in 2015

Key Features of NPR

• House-to-house enumeration conducted during Census house-listing phase
• Covers Indian citizens and foreign nationals
• Prepared at multiple administrative levels
• Provides legal basis for issuing a National Identity Card
• Supervised by Registrar General of India, who acts as National Registration Authority

Data Collected under NPR

• Demographic information, including:
  • Name, age, gender
  • Place and date of birth of parents
  • Last place of residence
• Identity related details
  • Aadhaar number (voluntary)
  • PAN, Voter ID, Driving Licence
  • Mobile number
• Biometric data
  • Collected or updated using Aadhaar
• Technology driven collection
  • Mobile applications
  • Central monitoring portal

Significance of National Population Register

• Credible resident database for welfare delivery
• Enables targeted implementation of government schemes
• Helps reduce duplication in records
• Supports internal security planning
• Acts as a foundation for National Register of Indian Citizens
• Facilitates efficient governance and policy making
• Aids in creation of integrated identity systems
• Minimises repeated submission of documents by citizens

NPR, Census and NRC Relationship

• NPR
  • Records all residents
  • Includes citizens and non-citizens
• Census
  • Collects socio-economic and demographic data
  • Based on self-declaration
• NRC
  • Verifies citizenship status
  • Prepared using NPR data if notified

NPR Process

• Digitisation of collected demographic data
• Biometric linkage for de-duplication
• Data shared with UIDAI for verification
• Aadhaar holders not required to resubmit biometrics
• Discrepancies resolved in favour of NPR records

Major Challenges Associated with NPR

• Privacy concerns due to lack of clarity on data protection
• Fear of misuse and profiling
• Perceived linkage with NRC and CAA
• Opposition from States such as Kerala and West Bengal
• Overlap with Aadhaar, raising duplication concerns
• Federal tensions despite Centre’s jurisdiction
• High financial cost of nationwide exercise

Way Forward

• Clear communication distinguishing NPR from NRC
• Robust data protection framework aligned with Supreme Court privacy principles
• Avoid duplication by integrating with existing databases
• Trust building measures through transparency
• Efficient use of technology for faster and accurate enumeration
• Cooperative federal approach with states