There will be no 'D' category in NPR, reiterates Centre

In a significant clarification in parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah today said no document would have to be submitted for the NPR or National Population Register and no one will be declared "D" (doubtful). He also asked the Leader of Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, to visit him along with other opposition leaders to clarify doubts on NPR.

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday reiterated that no documents would be needed for the National Population Register (NPR) and there will be no 'D' (doubtful) category.

"I am again repeating that no documents will be needed for the NPR. All the information asked is optional. Nobody has to fear from the process of NPR. There will be no 'D' (doubtful) category," Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Last month as well, the Centre had said that during the updation of NPR, "no verification is done to find individuals whose citizenship is doubtful."

In a reply in the Lok Sabha on February 4, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had said, "During the exercise of updation of National Population Register (NPR), no verification is done to find individuals, whose citizenship is doubtful."

The reply had come in response to a question asked by Congress MP Manish Tewari.

In reply to another question of Tewari, Rai had said, "Till now, the government has not taken any decision to prepare the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) at the national level. Rule 6 of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 does not contradict Rule 4."

A press release from the MHA dated February 4 reads: "Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in written replies to questions regarding preparation and the updation of NPR in the Lok Sabha today, said that population register is a register containing details of persons usually residing in a village or rural area or town or ward or demarcated area within a ward in a town or urban area."

"NPR was first prepared in 2010 and updated in 2015. In pursuance of Sub-Rule (4) of Rule 3 of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, framed under the Citizenship Act, 1955, Central government decided to prepare and update the population register during April to September 2020 throughout the country, except Assam, for the collection of information relating to all persons usually residing in village or town," the release added.

(With inputs from ANI)