40 lakh excluded, only 9 lakh file claims for inclusion of names as NRC deadline nears

With less than 10 days to go for the December 15 Supreme Court deadline for filing claims and objections to the NRC updation process, only 9 lakh out of the 40 lakh people left out of the list have staked claim for inclusion of their names in the Citizenship list.

The number of objections challenging an individual’s nationality stands at meagre 250.

This signifies that as many as 31 lakh of the 40 lakh people whose names did not figure in the NRC final draft are yet to file their claims.

The Supreme Court last month extended the time for filing of claims and objections against the NRC draft from November 25 to December 15.

Notably, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had last month permitted 5 additional identity documents for filing claims and objections, which brings the total number of documents to 15 for inclusion of names.

The required additional identity documents are National Register of Citizens (NRC), 1951; electoral roll up to 24 March, 1971; Citizenship Certificate; Refugee Registration Certificate and certified copies of pre-1971 electoral roll; and ration card.