Explained: What is National Population Register?

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The Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared the National Population Register. The National Population Register is set to commence from April next year. The National Population Register (NPR) is a Register of usual residents of the country. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR.

What is NPR (National Population Register)?

The NPR is a list of "usual residents" of the country, defined as a person who has resided in a local area for the past six months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next six months or more.

Demographic Particulars

The following details of every individual are required:

• Name of person
• Relationship to head of household
• Father’s name
• Mother’s name
• Spouse’s name (if married)
• Sex
• Date of Birth
• Marital status
• Place of birth
• Nationality (as declared)
• Present address of usual residence
• Duration of stay at present address
• Permanent residential address
• Occupation/Activity
• Educational qualification

Here are the key things to know about the National Population Register:

• NPR is being prepared at the local (Village/sub-Town), sub-District, District, State and National level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
• Under the NPR, a census will be conducted from house to house across the country from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2020. NPR's aim is to create a database of the comprehensive identity of common residents of the country.
• This data will also contain biometric information along with demographics.
• The NPR initiative started in 2010 under the Manmohan Singh government. 
• Any resident residing in any area in the country for six months or more is required to register with the NPR.
• The government has now decided to update the NPR along with the Houselisting phase of Census 2021 during April to September 2020 in all the states/UTs except Assam, according to the website of the Office of the Registrar General, and Census Commissioner.
• A gazette notification to this effect was issued in August this year.
• The database would contain demographic as well as biometric particulars.

The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The database would contain demographic as well as biometric particulars, according to Census India.

Also Read: Modi cabinet approves budget for National Population Register. What it means