National Population Register (NPR)

Why in news :  The Centre has not yet decided whether to update the National Population Register (NPR) during Census 2027.This was communicated during a preparatory meeting of Census Directors held on July 3–4.

About National Population Register (NPR)

• NPR is a register of usual residents of the country.
• A “usual resident” is a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or intends to reside there for the next 6 months or more.

Legal Basis:

• Governed by the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.

Purpose:

• To create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident.
• It is considered the first step toward the creation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Origin and Updates:

• First created in 2010, during the House Listing phase of Census 2011.
• Updated in 2015–16 using information from door-to-door surveys.
• Proposed to be updated again alongside Census 2021, but delayed due to COVID-19.

Data Collected:

• Includes demographic details (name, gender, DOB, relationship, marital status, etc.) and residential information.
• Unlike Census data (which is anonymized and aggregated), NPR data can be shared with Central and State governments and agencies for planning and security.

Scope:

• Covers all usual residents, including foreigners residing in India for more than 6 months.
• As of 2015–16, NPR held records of over 119 crore residents.

Controversy:

• Concerns over privacy, exclusion, and linkage with NRC have been raised by civil society and political groups.
• Some States (e.g., West Bengal, Kerala) had halted NPR work citing concerns over its impact on minorities.

Difference from Census: