New Delhi, December 24: Amid the row over Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens in the country, reports are coming that the Narendra Modi government may approve the National Population of Register (NPR) in the Union Cabinet meeting today. The NPR updation process has been stopped by state government of West Bengal and Kerala, earlier this month.

According to the latest inputs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet is discussing on the minutes of implementing the NPR in the country, which was earlier updated in 2015. The NPR first came into existence in 2010 and then the process of updation began in various states. Based on the information of the people, the data is updated by the government agencies. States Government Have No Powers to Refuse Implementation of Citizenship Act and NPR: Official.

Following the decisions of West Bengal and Kerala Chief Ministers -- Mamata Banerjee and Pinarayi Vijayan -- last week to put a stay order on the updation of NPR, a top official of the central government had said that state governments have no powers to reject NPR which is to be carried out next year. The Home Ministry official had said, "The states have no powers to deny implementation of a central law which is in the Union List."

Aligning it with CAA and NPR -- enacted under the Union List of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution -- the official had said that said no state can refuse to carry out the process as it will be done as per the Citizenship Act. Under the Union List of the 7th Schedule, there are 97 items including Defence, External Affairs, Railways, Citizenship and Naturalisation.

Last week, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said "an anti-constitutional law (CAA) will have no place" in his state. Mamata Banerjee also announced that her government will not allow NPR exercise in Bengal. She had said, "You can pass laws in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha forcefully because you have the number. But we will not let you divide the country."

NPR is a register of usual residents of the country. It is being prepared at the local (village/sub-town), sub-district, district, state and national level under provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 24, 2019 09:31 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).