NRC Row: Facts you need to know about the National Register of Citizens

The protests in India, the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the drafting of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam have led to speculation on what is the NRC. So, here is a quick fact-check.

HAS AN ALL INDIA NRC BEEN IMPLEMENTED?  

No. As of today, there is not a National Register of Citizens (NRC) that has been implemented. However, Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in Jharkhand said, “I assure you the BJP government led by Narendra Modi will implement NRC across India, and all infiltrators will be thrown out before we come to you to seek votes the next time.”  

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IS THERE A PAN INDIA NRC LAW OR BILL IN PLACE?  

No. At present, there is no NRC law or NRC bill that has been drafted and made public. Any law on NRC would require that a bill be tabled - first in the Lok Sabha and then in the Rajya Sabha. All that is present, as of today, are the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003  

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NRC IN ASSAM?  

The NRC process that has culminated in Assam, took place as per the order of, and under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India. In fact, it was based on a petition by Assam Public Works that the Supreme Court had directed for the exercise to update NRC to take place in 2013.  

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WILL PEOPLE HAVE TO PROVE ANCESTRY BACK TO 1971?  

No. The NRC process which required people to prove their ancestry before 1971 was specialed for Assam to give effect to the Assam Accord signed in 1985. This accord came into being after the Assam agitation against the influx of illegal immigrants that entered the region post the 1971 war.  

WILL A NATIONWIDE NRC BE LIKE THE NRC IN ASSAM? 

No. A dedicated NRC process was put in place for Assam by virtue of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizenship and Issue of National Identity Cards) Amendment Rules, 2009 ensured there were special provisions as to the National Register of Indian Citizens in the State of Assam.  

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DID THE NRC PROCESS IN ASSAM MANDATE EXCLUSION ON THE BASIS OF RELIGION?  

No. The Assam process NRC did not have an exclusionary clause based on religion. It was a register for all the citizens in Assam, regardless of faith, ethnicity, religion, caste and creed. All the people had to submit documents to prove their citizenship.  

DID THE NRC IN ASSAM TARGET MUSLIMS?  

No. The NRC in Assam marked a total of 3,11,21,004 persons as eligible under it but 19,06,657 were left out. It is important to note that those left out were not just Muslims:  5 lakh Bengali Hindus, and 1 lakh people from the Gorkha community were amongst those who reportedly did not make it to the NRC. 

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