Assam releases final NRC draft, 40 lakh declared ‘illegal citizens’ of India

On July 31, 2018, Assam government released its final draft of National Registry of Citizens of Assam.

• According to the release, Out of 3,29,91,384 (3.29 crore) total applicants, 2,89,83,677 (2.9 crore) people have been found eligible to be included in the National Register of Citizens,
• 40.07 lakh people who have not made their name to the list have been declared ‘illegal immigrants’.
• However, there won’t be any deportation based of the final draft.
• Citizens would be given a chance at appeal with the NRC and can also approach the courts.
• Those whose names have not been listed could visit the centres within August 7- 30,2018.
• After this, from August 30 till September 28 people can submit claim and objection forms.
• The Registrar General of India (RGI) has been ordered to use all means of communication including websites, toll-free numbers, SMS etc, to provide information to public about the Draft NRC.
• Applications for inclusion into the National Register for Citizens started in May 2015 and documents were received from around 68 lakh families across Assam.
• 22,000 central paramilitary troops were provided for protection in Assam.

About Assamese population:

• It has a total population of 32 million.
• It has a third of muslim population which makes it the state with second-highest percentage of Muslims.
• 19 million got Indian citizenship when the first part of the draft came out on December 31,2017 to January 1^st, 2018.
• NRC was first prepared in 1951.

Background:

• The register counts only those as Assam citizens who can prove that they were living in the state on or before March 21, 1971.
• The descendants of those who can prove citizenship till March 24, 1971, will also be considered Indian citizens and those who arrived between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971, and registered themselves with the Foreigners Registration Regional Officer.