Centre puts Manipur Census 2027 on hold over NRC demand
The Registrar General of India excluded Manipur from the upcoming census phase following demands from civil society groups for a National Register of Citizens.
The Centre has suspended the entire Manipur Census 2027 exercise until further notice, according to a report by Urban Acres. The Registrar General of India (RGI) excluded the state from the next phase of the nationwide census schedule.
The decision follows demands from Meitei and Naga civil society organisations for a National Register of Citizens to be prepared before the population count. These groups have raised concerns regarding demographic shifts and the requirement for a verified record of the state's indigenous people.
The Manipur Legislative Assembly has supported this demand, having adopted a resolution in 2022 and reaffirming it in 2024. Additionally, the Manipur high court directed that the house-listing phase be kept in abeyance on September 5.
The RGI notified the schedule on Friday for the next phase of Census 2027, which is set to begin on January 25. While most of the country will undergo self-enumeration from January 10 to 24, Manipur remains excluded.
The suspension follows a meeting in New Delhi on September 5 between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh. The RGI has not announced a new date for the state, leaving its inclusion subject to a further declaration.