If NRC is implemented across India, How can I prove that I am citizen of India ?

National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register maintained to identify the citizen of India. First such register was prepared in 1951. National Register of Citizens, 1951 is a register prepared after the conduct of the Census of 1951 in respect of each village, showing the houses or holdings in serial order and indicating against each house or holding the number and names of persons staying therein. These registers covered each and every person enumerated during the Census of 1951 and were kept in the offices of Deputy Commissioners and Sub Divisional Officers according to instructions issued by the Government of India in 1951.

NRC in Assam

NRC updation process has started in Assam in 2015. The NRC, when updated, shall become an important legal document to fall back upon for a citizen with reference to his/her status of Indian Citizenship. Moreover, as Assam has been facing the problem of illegal migrants from Bangladesh, it is important to identify them. It is therefore imperative on the part of citizens of India in Assam to ensure inclusion of his/her name in the updated NRC.

NRC in Rest of India

An amendment in the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, issued by the central government on May 30, 2019 paves the way for expanding the scope of NRC beyond. The amended order empowers state governments and even district magistrates of all states and Union Territories to set up tribunals to identify a "foreigner" who is living in India illegally.

Documents Required

In Assam, there were two requirements  (List A Documents and List B Documents) for the inclusion of names of any person in updated NRC. If it is implemented across India, List A Documents and List B Documents will be required.

List A Documents

1. The first requirement is a collection of ANY ONE of the following documents of List A issued before midnight of 24th March 1971 where the name of self or ancestor* appears (to prove residence in Assam up to midnight of 24th March, 1971).

• 1951 NRC 

• Electoral Roll(s) up to 24th March 1971 (midnight)

• Land & Tenancy Records

• Citizenship Certificate 

• Permanent Residential Certificate

• Refugee Registration Certificate

• Passport

• LIC

• Any Govt. issued License/Certificate

• Govt. Service/ Employment Certificate

• Bank/Post Office Accounts

• Birth Certificate

• Board/University Educational Certificate

• Court Records/Processes.

Further, two other documents viz (1) Circle Officer/GP Secretary Certificate in respect of married women migrating after marriage (can be of any year before or after 24th March (midnight) 1971), and (2) Ration Card issued up to the midnight of 24th March, 1971 can be adduced as supporting documents. However, these two documents shall be accepted only if accompanied by anyone of the documents listed above.

List B Documents

2. The Second requirement arises if the name in any of the documents of List A is not of the applicant himself/herself but that of an ancestor, namely, father or mother or grandfather or grandmother or great grandfather or great grandmother (and so on) of the applicant. In such cases, the applicant shall have to submit documents as in List B below to establish relationship with such ancestor, i.e., father or mother or grandfather or grandmother or great grandfather or great grandmother etc. whose name appears in List A. Such documents shall have to be legally acceptable document which clearly proves such relationship.

• Birth Certificate

• Land document

• Board/University Certificate

• Bank/LIC/Post Office records

• Circle Officer/GP Secretary Certificate in case of married women

• Electoral Roll

• Ration Card

• Any other legally acceptable document

Note: Cut off date of document for Assam was 1971, due to Bangladesh War. But for the rest of India, it might be 1951 or some other year.

Points to remember

• Providing anyone of the documents of List A of ANY PERIOD up to midnight of 24th March, 1971 shall be enough to prove eligibility for inclusion in updated NRC.

• Simply being born in India or having parents who were born in India is not enough. The NRC also requires you or your parents to have been born before a certain cut-off date.

• No one automatically qualifies as an Indian citizen even if they were born in India as long back as 1972. You have to prove that your ancestors entered India before March 24, 1971, the eve of the Bangladesh War. You can be born in India in 1971, to parents who crossed the border that year, and still be considered a foreigner at the age of 48.

• Even if your grandparents and parents and you yourself have lived in India before 1971, you don’t automatically qualify. You have to prove this fact by any of the documents mentioned above.

• Even if you have all the documents to establish your grandparents and parents have lived in Indian before 1971, you don’t automatically qualify. You have to prove you are their grandchild or child.

• You qualify as an Indian citizen because you can prove you are born to your parents using Birth Certificate. Birth certificates issued by any authority other than the health department will not be accepted. Certificates made more than a year after birth may also be rejected.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to obtain admissible documents?

The applicant must submit the admissible documents available with them. In case the applicant had lost or misplaced the documents required, they may approach the office from which the documents were issued for obtaining duplicate/certified copies.

Am I required to submit all of the admissible documents?

No. You are required to submit only one of the admissible documents. It can be either NRC 1951, any one of the Electoral Rolls upto 24th March (midnight), 1971 or any of the 12 other admissible documents.

What sort of land documents are acceptable?

Any land documents showing title/ownership/possession like ‘Patta’, Jamabandi, Khatian, mutation orders, and land revenue payment receipt pertaining to the period upto midnight of 24th March, 1971 are acceptable, subject to validation.

Is GP certificate mandatory for every married woman for inclusion in NRC?

No. G.P. Secretary Certificate is not mandatory for every married woman. It is an additional option available for married woman to show her linkage with her ancestors in absence of any other legally acceptable documents, which contains her name and her ancestors name together

What is Legacy Data?

The documents namely 1951 NRC (National Register of Citizens) and Electoral Rolls upto midnight of 24th March, 1971 are collectively called as the Legacy Data.

What are the documents accepted to establish linkage with the Legacy data/parents?

In order to prove linkage with parent or ancestor, any legally acceptable document which establishes the relationship in clear terms between (1) the member of the family, and (2) the name of person whose name appears Legacy Data or any of the admissible documents issued upto midnight of 24th March, 1971 shall be acceptable. Such documents should be verifiable with the originals available with the issuing authority. Also, these relationship/linkage documents can be issued before or after 24th March (midnight), 1971. Circle Officer/GP Secretary Certificate in respect of married women migrating after marriage is only optional and not mandatory. Married women can also use other valid documents to prove linkage.

What if my or my ancestor’s name is not found in Legacy Data?

In this regard it is hereby made clear that the computerized Legacy Data search engine is just a tool to facilitate easy search, and by no means the only resort for finding proof of eligibility in updated NRC. The Legacy Database are old and even some are found in faded, torn condition, for which 100% digitization of all records may not have been possible. As such if someone’s name is not found in the computerized search the person can still look up for such records in the published copies made available at the NRC Seva Kendras (NSKs). Even if one does not find his or her name in the published documents, application can still be made for inclusion in NRC by providing any of the other admissible documents issued upto midnight of 24th March, 1971 namely, (i) Land & Tenancy records (ii) Citizenship Certificate (iii) Permanent Residential Certificate (iv) Refugee Registration Certificate (v) Passport (vi) LIC Policy (vii) Govt. issued License/Certificate (viii) Govt. Service/ Employment Certificate (ix) Bank/Post Office Accounts (x) Birth Certificate (xi) Board/University Educational Certificate (xii) Court Records/ Processes.

As such unavailability of one’s own or ancestor’s name in Legacy Data is not a deterrent for applying and inclusion in NRC, if the applicant can produce any one of the said admissible documents as well

Will I face any problem if my /my ancestors’ names are wrongly spelt in Legacy Data?

Even if anyone's name, age etc. is wrongly recorded in NRC 1951 or any of the Electoral Rolls upto 1971, there would be ample scope for citizens to prove their linkage with the correct person during field verification. Affidavits if submitted will be received but corrections mentioned there in would be effected only after satisfactory verification of its particulars by verifying officials.

How do we obtain the NRC Application Form?

NRC Application Forms are being distributed house to house by the Field Level Officers (FLOs) in all the districts who are specially notified to perform this function. It is also available on our web-site.

Is there any fee for obtaining the Application Form?

The Application Forms are distributed free of cost. Any instance of Field Level Officer or any other government official asking for money against Application Form may be reported to the respective DC (District Registrar of Citizen Registration)/ Circle Officer (Circle Registrar of Citizen Registration)/ Local Registrar of Citizen Registration (LRCR). Complaint may also be lodged by calling at NRC toll free helpline number 15107 or by submitting a complaint in our website.

Who are eligible to apply for inclusion in updated NRC?

All the residents of the state are eligible to apply for inclusion in NRC.

I’ve lost my Application Form distributed by your officer. Can I use a photocopy of the blank Application form given to my neighbour and submit it at my designated NSK?

Yes. You may also use photocopies of blank Application Form or may download it from the website of respective state government. It is not mandatory to use and submit an Application Form received only through Field Level Officer.

How do I fill up the Application Form?

The Head of the family will fill up the Application Form for self and all the members of a family including those who may not be presently residing in State or, may be residing in any other state of the country or outside the country. In the case of absence of the head of the family, any other adult member in the family can apply.

In case of minor or disabled person, the head of the family or the natural guardian/ legal guardian may apply on behalf of such persons. For inmates of institutional homes, orphanages, home for mentally and physically handicapped persons, old age homes etc, the head of the institution shall have to apply.

All the fields of the Application Form will have to be filled in completely and copies of Legacy Data/Legacy Data Code references/admissible documents as required will have to be enclosed by the applicant along with the Application Form. Only photocopies of documents are needed to be enclosed. Originals shall be asked for during verification.

Check the Video Tutorials gallery on HOW TO FILL UP THE APPLICATION FORM? Also check out the Instruction Sheets on Simple Steps to Fill Up the Application Form in this web-site. Citizens may also call at the toll free help line number 15107 for any assistance required in filling up the Application Form.

Is it mandatory to mention the house number in the Application form?

It is not compulsory for applicants to fill in the House Number in the Application Form if the same is not usually used by the applicant while describing his/her address. There is no requirement to search or ascertain any Census House Number or Election House Number or any other House Number generated by government agencies.

My ancestor’s name is wrongly spelt in the Legacy Data slip. Will my Application Form be rejected at the time of submission?

Application Form would not be rejected on the basis of names wrongly spelt in Legacy Data quoted by the applicant.

My name is included in the voter list of Nalbari, but I’m presently residing in Guwahati. Do I need to produce any electoral roll to obtain the Application Form for my family?

Public are not required to produce any electoral roll or any other document for obtaining Application Forms for their families.

Will NRI be considered in NRC?

Yes. He/she is eligible for inclusion in NRC updation process provided he/she falls under the category of eligible persons.

My father lives abroad, who can apply in his absence?

If you are the eldest member of the family you can apply by establishing your and your siblings’ linkage to your father and grandfather in the Legacy Data. Your mother too can fill up the Application form. However she will need to establish her linkage independently to her father or grandfather in the Legacy Data.

What happens in case the applicant is a minor and lives in an orphanage, how can she/he prove her/his nationality?

The legal guardian of the child has the authority to apply.

What documents are required in case of a married woman?

Just like men, any woman shall also have to prove linkage with her father or mother or grandfather or grandmother as the case may be. As married woman are more usually referred to through their husbands, it is clarified that for establishing eligibility for inclusion in updated NRC, they shall have to prove linkage with her father or mother or grandfather or grandmother as the case may be and linkage with husbands or in-laws shall not be counted.

I’m born and brought up in UK, however my father is an Indian and now he is residing in India. Can I apply for NRC updation and if yes, what document should I provide to establish my linkage with my father?

Yes, you can apply for NRC updation by providing any government document showing your linkage with your father. The documents will be verified by the verification team.

I have been disowned by my father. Can I still apply for NRC updation with his linkage?

Yes, you can.

If a child is adopted by his/her relative without any court agreement then who will be the parents in this NRC ?

The guardian of the child shall apply on behalf of the child. The linkage of parents as known to the relative who has adopted the child to be provided.

Will I get an acknowledgement slip after submission of Application Form?

Yes. The Application Receipt Centre at the NRC Seva Kendra will issue a computer generated receipt to the applicant. The receipt signed by the Local Registrar of Citizen Registration (LRCR) shall be accompanied by a printout of the scanned copy of the Application Form and a list of the names of the documents submitted in support of citizenship.

What acknowledgement shall I receive, when I submit the form online?

A copy of the submitted Form will be generated and it can be downloaded for future reference.

I have lost the acknowledgement slip. What should I do?

Please visit your nearest allotted NRC Seva Kendra and request them for another copy of your receipt. However, do remember that the Seva Kendras shall be available only for a period of 3(three) months at the designated locality for receipt of application.

Whom to approach if my application is rejected?

If such a situation arises, you may file claim application within a stipulated time period before the LRCR. The Application for filing claims and objections is available in a prescribed format. A notice will be issued to every person filing claim to substantiate his or her claim by the LRCR.

Who is a “D” voter?

Doubtful Voter are those persons who are identified during electoral roll revision as D Voters, cases of which are pending with the Foreigners Tribunals or as declared as foreigners by the Tribunal.

Can a "D" voter apply?

Yes. “D” voters can apply for inclusion of their names in the updated NRC. However, a “D” Voter’s name will only be included in NRC only after getting clearance from the Foreigners Tribunals.

My father is identified as a D Voter but the case is not yet resolved in the Foreigners Tribunals. But I am not a D Voter and I have my Legacy Data particulars for 1971. Will I be eligible for inclusion in NRC?

Yes, someone who has his/her Legacy Data record is eligible to for inclusion in the updated NRC, irrespective of the fact that his/her father or mother has been identified as D Voters.

Is there any chance for exclusion of names of any citizen in the updated NRC?

All residents are invited to apply for inclusion of their names in NRC. If the applicant can produce documentary evidence, as admissible, inclusion in NRC shall not be difficult. Even in case a citizen gets left out at the Draft Publication stage, he/she will be able to submit a claim for inclusion at the time of final publication.

Will I get an identity card after my name is enlisted in NRC?

Issue of identity card is not included in the current phase of updation of NRC. It may happen in the next phase.

What are the authorities to be contacted for any complaints or for getting any clarification?

You can call at NRC Helpline 15107 or visit your nearest NRC Seva Kendras (NSKs) for any kind of complaint or queries related to NRC updation. Also you can lodge any complaint through the website as well.