MHA to amend Citizenship Rules, 2003 to enable excluded persons in NRC to appeal in Tribunals

The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 are also being amended accordingly, the Home Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The decision came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the issues related to final publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

It has been decided that state government would also make arrangements to provide legal aid to the needy people amongst those excluded from NRC.

In order to facilitate the persons excluded from NRC, adequate arrangements would be made by the state government to provide full opportunity to appeal against their non-inclusion. Every individual, whose name fails to make it in the final NRC, can represent his or her case in front of the appellate authority -- Foreigner Tribunals which are being established at convenient locations.

Under the provisions of Foreigners Act 1946 and Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964, only Foreigners Tribunals are empowered to declare a person as a foreigner. Thus, non-inclusion of a person’s name in NRC does not by itself amount to him or her being declared as a foreigner.

The review meeting, held on Monday, was attended by Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary Assam and senior officers. Extensive deliberations have been held on the issue between the Union Home Ministry and Assam Government in the past recent weeks.