NRC Update: Simultaneous Claims And Hearing Process From Today

GUWAHATI: The NRC (National Register of Citizens) update process is entering a crucial phase with the NRC authorities commencing from Friday the simultaneous process of conducting the claims and hearings of all 1,02,462 individuals whose names were excluded from the complete draft National Register of Citizens published on July 30, 2018. The names of these individuals were subsequently published in the ‘Additional Draft Exclusion List’ published on June 26. Letters of Information (LoIs) have already been sent to the individuals concerned. The LoI has reason(s) for exclusion, and also mention the name of venue where the respective hearing and disposing process is to be carried out.

Meanwhile, the National Register of Citizens authority has issued the guidelines for disposal of these cases to the Local Registrar of Citizen Registration (LRCR), Deputy Commissioners (DCs), Circle Officers (COs), and Disposing Officers. The process, to be first carried out by 3,300 Disposing Officers, is expected to be completed in about a week’s time. After the Disposing Officers dispose the cases, the respective DCs or COs will critically examine (termed as ‘vetting’) each case. The 1,02,462 persons will know their status only on July 31 when the complete NRC will be published.

The update process is being carried out at the direction of the Supreme Court. The apex court has posted July 10, 2019 as the next date for hearing on NRC.

This ‘Additional Draft Exclusion List’ to complete draft National Register of Citizens has names of those 1, 02,462 people that had figured in the complete NRC draft list published on July 30 last year; but were subsequently found ineligible for inclusion in the final NRC. This is besides the 40,07,707 names that were already excluded from the complete draft NRC published on July 30, 2018. The ‘Additional Exclusion List’ has been published as per provisions contained in Clause 5 of the Schedule of ‘The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003’.

The reasons for exclusion of 1,02,462 names were due to the following reasons: They were DF (Declared Foreigner) or DV (Doubtful Voter) or PFT (persons with cases pending at Foreigners Tribunals) or their descendants, as applicable, and discovered after publication of Draft NRC; persons who were found to be ineligible while appearing as witness in hearings held for disposal of ‘Claims and Objections’; and persons who were found to be ineligible during the process of verification carried out by the LRCRs under provisions of Clause 4(3), after publication of Complete Draft NRC on July 30, 2018.

Also Read: NRC (National Register of Citizens) Authority Disposing Objection Cases Sans Objectors