Manipur High Court Suspends Census Amid NRC Update Concerns

The Manipur High Court has suspended all census activities in the state until April 30, responding to ongoing concerns about the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) update and related demographic documentation processes. The decision was made by a division bench led by Chief Justice M Sundar and Justice Aribam Guneshwar Sharma on November 4 while disposing of a public interest litigation and accompanying writ petitions. The court's intervention reflects mounting apprehensions among various sections of society regarding the coordination between census operations and NRC-related activities in the state. The suspension provides a window for the administration to address the substantive concerns raised by petitioners regarding citizenship verification and demographic data collection. Manipur has witnessed considerable sensitivity around census and citizenship-related exercises in recent years, with multiple stakeholders expressing reservations about methodologies and potential implications for residents. The court's order effectively pauses all enumeration work across the state during this period. The decision underscores the judiciary's role in balancing administrative processes with public concerns in matters affecting fundamental questions of identity and citizenship.