The final National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam will be published on August 31.
What is NRC in Assam?
The NRC is a list of all citizens domiciled in Assam and is being updated at present to retain bonafide citizens within the state and evict illegal settlers, purportedly migrants from Bangladesh.
At present, the list is being updated – for the first time since 1951 – by the Registrar General of India in a Supreme Court-monitored exercise.
The NRC update is a result of the six-year long Assam Agitation in 1980s to drive out the illegal foreigners from Assam after the indigenous people felt the identity crisis from the large-scale infiltration from the neighbouring Bangladesh.
Now, the final NRC will feature the names of the individuals who have been living in the state before March 24, 1971, or those whose ancestors resided before this cut-off date.
The process of the NRC update started in December 2013 and applications for it were invited in May-June 2015. The NRC is unique to the state of Assam but now the Centre is also mulling to make it a pan India affair.
How is NRC updated?
According to NRC officials, it is being updated as per the provisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. As such, eligibility for inclusion in updated NRC shall be determined based on electoral rolls up to the midnight of March 24, 1971, and in their absence, the list of admissible documents issued upto midnight of March 24, 1971. The process is ongoing under the observation of the honourable Supreme Court of India.
You may check your NRC application status if you:
- Submitted a claim upon not being included in the final draft list (published on July 30, 2018),
- Were excluded in the Additional Draft Exclusions List published on June 26, 2019,
- Had any objection filed against your inclusion.
- Were called for hearings held from July 5, 2019 onwards.
You are included in final NRC and may not check your application status if you are:
- Included in the final Draft list,
- Not excluded in Additional Draft Exclusions List,
- Not called for hearings held from July 5, 2019 onwards.
Steps to check whether your name appears in the final NRC:
Offline/Walk-in:
You can visit your respective NRC Seva Kendra/ Office of Circle Officer/ Officer of Deputy Commissioner and check your name in the Supplementary Inclusions List on all working days from 10am to 4pm.
Online:
- Log in to www.nrcassam.nic.in, www.assam.mygov.in or www.assam.gov.in.
- Look for link titled ‘Supplementary Inclusions / Exclusions Lists (Final NRC) status’
- Type in your ARNs to check if your name is part of the final NRC
Public would be able to view the results of Final NRC as follows:
According to The Sentinel, those persons:
- Who submitted claim as they were (i) not included in Complete Draft (published on 30th July, 2018) or (ii) excluded by Additional Draft Exclusions List published on 26th June, 2019 or,
- Had any objection filed against their inclusion can see their status of inclusion in Supplementary Inclusions List by visiting their designated NSK/Office of Circle Officers /Office of Deputy Commissioners. The list will only be a list of Supplementary List of Inclusions.
- Public can also check their status online by typing their ARN.
Those persons who were included in Complete Draft (published on 30th July, 2018) or (ii) Not excluded by Additional Draft Exclusions List published on 26th June, 2019 but –
- Were called for hearings held from 5th July 2019 onwards can also check for their status as at 1 above.
- Were NOT called for any hearings held from 5th July 2019 onwards need not worry about their inclusion status. They continue to be included in Final NRC.
It is also important to mention that after August 31, 2019 online facility will reflect the result of any change in status from Complete Draft NRC for claimants/ objectees/ any member included in Draft but were called for any hearing held on or after 5 July 2019 .
From September 7, 2019, the status of all NRC applicants will be available online.
Will the excluded individuals get further opportunities to prove their citizenship?
They can approach a Foreigners Tribunal with a certified copy of the rejection order from the NRC, along with the grounds for appeal. The Tribunal has to give its final order within 120 days from the date of production of records, the Home Ministry stated in an order dated May 30 this year. In addition to the 100 Foreigners Tribunals, 200 more will be functional by September 1, state government officials said. If the applicant loses their case before such a Tribunal, he or she can appeal in the High Court, and then the Supreme Court if necessary. Someone who is not only excluded from the final NRC but also loses his or her case in a Foreigners Tribunal, however, faces possible arrest, and the prospect of being sent to a detention centre.
