Union Budget Allocation Signals NPR Still On Government’s Agenda Despite Silence

More than six years after nationwide protests erupted over the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens, the National Population Register appears to remain on the government’s radar. The Union Budget 2026–27 has earmarked Rs 6,000 crore for Census-related activities, including provisions for the NPR, signalling continued preparedness despite the absence of any formal notification.

The NPR had triggered widespread controversy during the 2019 protests, as it was widely perceived as a precursor to a nationwide NRC. Since then, the exercise has largely faded from public discourse. However, budget documents indicate that the Narendra Modi-led government has not abandoned the framework.

Presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Budget places the allocation under the “Census, Survey and Statistics/Registrar General of India” head. This covers the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, preparations for Census 2027, and schemes including the National Population Register. Of the total allocation, Rs 218 crore has been earmarked for capital expenditure.

The allocation has been made even though no official decision has been announced on updating or conducting a fresh NPR enumeration. As recently as July 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed Parliament that no decision had been taken on revising the NPR.

The National Population Register is a database of usual residents of the country and is governed by the Citizenship Rules of 2003, framed under the Citizenship Act, 1955. Under these rules, NPR data can be verified and used to create a National Register of Indian Citizens, a linkage that previously sparked fears among sections of society that the exercise could disproportionately affect minorities.

Data for the NPR was first collected during the 2011 Census houselisting phase and later updated in 2015 through door-to-door surveys. In 2019, the Registrar General of India revived the process through a notification, and earlier data was digitised. Plans to conduct further exercises were subsequently stalled, first due to protests and later because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Opposition leaders have reacted to the fresh allocation by warning that it could pave the way for reviving the NRC. CPI(ML) Liberation leader Clifton D’Rozario said the funding indicated a sequence that could lead from surveys to NPR and eventually the NRC before the current government’s term ends.

The houselisting phase for Census 2027 has been notified to take place between April and September 2026, though the notification does not mention the NPR. A Home Ministry official has maintained that no decision has been taken to conduct or update the NPR, stating that the allocation merely ensures funds are available if the government chooses to proceed.

Despite these assurances, the budgetary provision has reignited debate and speculation over whether the NPR could move forward alongside preparations for the upcoming Census.