The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on August 31, 2019.
The NRC is a Supreme Court-monitored exercise. It took five years and Rs. 1,220 crore. All residents of Assam had to produce documents proving that they or their families lived in India before March 24, 1971.
When the final draft of the list was released on July 30, 2018, out of 3.29 crore applicants, the names of over 40 lakh people were left out of the list.
Over 19 lakh people found themselves excluded from the final list on August 31, 2019.
Excluded persons will have 120 days to file an appeal at any of the existing 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals. At least 200 additional Foreigners’ Tribunals are expected to be set up by September, 2019. The Tribunals are required to dispose of the cases within six months. Appellants can then approach the High Court and Supreme Court. They will get a window of 10 months to prove their citizenship before being sent to detention centres.
Six Central jails will double up as detention centres. A separate detention centre at Agia in western Assam’s Goalpara district has been constructed. It has the capacity to house 3,000 people. Ten more such centres are in the works.
