40 lakh not on updated Assam citizen list; govt says no deportation for now

The names of around 40 lakh of 3.29 crore applicants were missing from the Supreme Court mandated final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) released on Monday. The NRC has been updated for the first time since 1951 to account for illegal migration from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Claims and objections from those not included in the final draft list will be taken up from August 30 to September 28, said officials adding that no one would be deported or arrested as this is only a draft. The complete list would be published only after all these claims are settled. There is no deadline yet for that process.

“Based on this draft no reference case will be sent to the foreigner tribunal or put in a detention centre,” said Satyendra Garg, home ministry officer in-charge of the northeast.