Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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Seek 20% recount in border districts, extension of July 31 deadline for final list
The Centre and the State of Assam on Tuesday made an urgent mention before the Chief Justice of India for an extension of the deadline for final publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for the State from July 31, 2019 to a “future date”. In identical but separate applications, the Centre and Assam urged the court for more time to conduct a “sample re-verification process” in relation to names included in the draft NRC published on July 30, 2018. They said a 20% sample re-verification of names included in the draft NRC of July 30 should be conducted in districts bordering Bangladesh and a 10% sample re-verification should be held in the remaining districts of Assam. Both the Centre and the State said the re-verification exercise should be conducted by Class 1 officers of the State government from other districts who have knowledge and experience of handling the process of enquiry/investigation. The applications further sought an order that the sample re-verification should be undertaken at a place different from where the NRC exercise happened. The Assam government agreed that this would cut out the possibility of local influences, bias/threat, etc. “But why should we grant an extension?” asked the CJI even as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pressed for an early hearing. “We will have it on August 1 then,” the CJI said. To this, Mr. Mehta said the last date of publication of NRC was July 31. “We will see,” the CJI finally said. The applications may be listed soon for hearing before a Special Bench of the CJI and Justice Rohinton Nariman. The applications have been filed despite repeated orders and oral observations from the court in the past to finish the NRC process on July 31, 2019.
