World · India Bureau
Manipur postpones census training amid NRC demand protests
Census preparations in Manipur have stalled as mounting public pressure demands a National Register of Citizens be completed before the population enumeration exercise. State authorities have deferred census training programmes as demonstrations intensify.
LSN India ·
Manipur has postponed census training activities as protests gain momentum over demands for conducting a National Register of Citizens (NRC) prior to the decennial population count. The deferment reflects growing unrest among sections of the population who view the NRC as a prerequisite for the census exercise.
The controversy centres on concerns about citizenship verification in the northeastern state, where demographic changes and immigration have been contentious issues. Activists and community groups have been pressing authorities to establish a comprehensive NRC before proceeding with census operations, arguing it would clarify resident populations and eligibility criteria.
State census officials have indicated that training schedules for enumerators and supervisors cannot proceed as planned due to the prevailing agitation. The disruption underscores the interconnected nature of governance challenges in Manipur, where census operations have become entangled with citizenship documentation debates.
The timing of the deferment remains uncertain, with officials awaiting stabilisation of the ground situation. Census operations are critical for administrative planning, resource allocation, and demographic analysis across states, making any significant delays a matter of wider concern for national statistics compilation.