Why in News?

The Census, scheduled in two phases during 2026 and 2027, will enable delimitation, implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill.

It will also facilitate updates to the National Population Register (NPR), potentially laying the groundwork for a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Census 2026–27: Implications Beyond Population Count
• Legal Framework Governing NPR and NRC

Census 2026–27: Implications Beyond Population Count

• Census to Enable Key Constitutional Exercises
  • The upcoming Census, scheduled in two phases across 2026 and 2027, is expected to facilitate the delimitation of constituencies and the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
• NPR Update Likely During House Listing Phase
  • Sources indicate that the National Population Register (NPR) will likely be updated during the house listing phase, but a decision on advancing to a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) is pending.
• NPR-NRC: Politically Sensitive Terrain
  • The NPR-NRC issue triggered nationwide protests following the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019.
  • In 2020, 10 states and two Union Territories passed Assembly resolutions opposing the NPR and NRC.
• No Official Mention in Latest Announcement
  • While the government’s latest Census announcement is silent on NPR and NRC, both were approved by the Cabinet in 2019 with an allocated budget of nearly ₹4,000 crore.
  • The exercise was deferred due to the pandemic.

Legal Framework Governing NPR and NRC

• NPR as a Legal Precursor to NRC
  • The National Population Register (NPR) is governed by the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, framed under Section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
  • NPR serves as the foundation for preparing the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
• Rules Define Process and Authority
  • Rule 3(4): The Centre can order the preparation of the Population Register.
  • Rule 3(5): NRC will be based on verified NPR data.
  • Rule 4(4): People with doubtful citizenship are to be flagged and informed during verification.
  • Rule 7 & 17: Heads of families must provide accurate data or face a fine of up to ₹1,000.
• NPR and NRC History
  • NPR data was first collected in 2010 and updated in 2015.
  • Though the Modi government later prioritised Aadhaar for welfare delivery, NPR was revived in 2019 by the Registrar General of India (RGI), who also digitised the 2015 data.
• Political Backdrop and Public Anxiety
  • The NPR revival coincided with nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and fears of a nationwide NRC, especially after the exclusion of 19 lakh people in Assam's NRC.
  • Statements by Union Home Minister Amit Shah linking CAA and NRC increased public concern.
  • Later, PM Modi and the MHA clarified that no decision on NRC had been taken.
• Legal Basis for NRC in the Citizenship Act
  • The 2003 amendment to the Citizenship Act inserted Section 14A, empowering the Central Government to compulsorily register every Indian citizen and issue a national identity card.
  • It also designated the Registrar General of India as the National Registration Authority.