New Delhi: The NRC identity cards delay issue has once again reached the Supreme Court. The Court has asked the Union Government and the Assam Government to file their responses on petitions seeking identity cards for people whose names were included in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) published in 2019. The matter is important because lakhs of people who were declared eligible citizens under the NRC process are still waiting for official identity cards.
NRC Identity Cards Delay Issue: Supreme Court Directs Centre And Assam To Reply
The Supreme Court on August 10 directed the Central Government and the Assam Government to file replies in a batch of petitions related to the issuance of NRC identity cards. The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe.
Read also: Gauhati High Court Directs Assam Govt to Frame Service Rules for Community Health Professionals
The Court was informed that notices had already been issued to the Union and State governments. The Bench granted time for them to file their responses.
NRC Identity Cards Delay Issue: Who Filed The Petitions
The petitions have been filed by:
- Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind
- All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU)
- Assam Sankhyalaghu Sangram Parishad
The petitioners are seeking the issuance of identity cards to people whose names appeared in the final NRC list published in August 2019.
Additional Application Also Mentioned
Senior Advocate Manish Goswami informed the Court about an interlocutory application filed by Hitesh Dev Sarma, former NRC State Coordinator. The application seeks tagging of his plea with the pending petitions. Sarma has sought re-certification and re-verification of the NRC list, claiming that the list contains several inaccuracies.
NRC Identity Cards Delay Issue: Court’s Observation
After hearing Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati for the Union Government, the Supreme Court directed that Hitesh Dev Sarma’s plea may be tagged and considered after replies are filed by the concerned authorities. The Court has not yet expressed any opinion on the merits of the case.
What Are The Petitioners Demanding?
The petitioners argue that even though the final NRC list was published in 2019, authorities have not completed several mandatory legal steps. According to the petitions, eligible individuals whose names were included in the NRC should have been issued National Identity Cards under the Citizenship Rules. They also point out that rejection slips and appeal procedures for those excluded from the NRC have not been fully completed.
Why Is The NRC Identity Cards Delay Issue Important
The final NRC list published in August 2019 included around 3.11 crore people as eligible citizens. At the same time, about 19 lakh people were excluded from the list.
The petitioners claim that delays in issuing identity cards and completing the legal process have left the NRC exercise incomplete. They argue that this situation raises constitutional concerns relating to equality and legal rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
