National Register of Citizens database safe: Centre

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Database of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) is fully secure and all protocols have been maintained. This assurance was given on Wednesday by both the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and NRC State Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma following an allegation on Monday that the NRC database was not available online.

Talking to The Sentinel, Dev Sarma said, “There should not be any apprehension about the NRC database. The data of final NRC is being made available online through the Cloud service which is highly technical. The data is secure. Moreover a database of the NRC is also available with the RGI (Registrar General of India).”

Dev Sarma added, “The responsibility to maintain the Cloud service was with WIPRO. But on October 19, 2019, the contract period with WIPRO ended.

“The then State NRC Coordinator, Prateek Hajela did not renew the contract with the company for the maintenance of this Cloud service. Despite this fact, the company maintained the Cloud service even beyond the contract for a few more months. However on December 15, 2019, WIPRO stopped maintaining this service. As a result, the online link for the public to view the final NRC became invisible.

“When it came to my notice that the contract agreement was not extended, I tok up the issue with authorities concerned. On January 30 this year, the NRC Coordination Committee approved the agreement extension move. Consequently, we issued the order to the company on February 6.”

Stating that the process is time consuming, Dev Sarma added, “Since it is a highly technical process to once again bring back the NRC database online for public viewing, it will take some time.”

The State NRC Coordinator, however, pointed out, “Though the public will be able to again view the final NRC yet it is not a legal document because the RGI has not yet notified the final NRC.”

After the final NRC list was published on August 31, 2019, the complete details of the eligible people included in the final NRC was uploaded on its official website ‘www.nrcassam.nic.in’ . The final NRC excluded 19,06,657 persons. A total of 3,11,21,004 names were included out of 3,30,27,661 applicants.

IANS adds: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday said in a clarification that the NRC data went offline due to a technical issue on the cloud. The MHA added that it was ensuring that the data was safe and the snag would be resolved soon. The Home Ministry’s clarification came after the Congress took on the government over the issue calling the “missing” of the data as a “malafide act”.

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