Manipur freezes district boundaries for census amid calls to update NRC

The Manipur government has frozen the administrative boundaries of all districts, tehsils and villages in the state to facilitate the upcoming census operation, amid growing demands from civil society organisations to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before any enumeration exercise is carried out.
In an order signed by Additional Secretary (Home) Ahanthem Subhash Singh, the Governor of Manipur, exercising powers under Clause (iv) of Rule 8 of the Census Rules, 1990, notified that all administrative boundaries in the state will remain frozen from January 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. The decision, the order stated, is aimed at ensuring smooth conduct of census operations.
The move comes at a time when several civil society bodies and political groups have raised concerns over conducting the census without first addressing issues related to illegal immigration and displacement caused by the ongoing ethnic unrest in the state.
Recently, a conclave of political parties organised by the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation was held on December 27, 2025, at Lamyanba Shanglen, Konung Lampak. The conclave resolved to seek postponement of census operations in Manipur until complete normalcy is restored, internally displaced persons (IDPs) are resettled in their original homes and villages, normal administration resumes, free movement is ensured, and illegal immigrants are identified through an updated NRC or a similar mechanism.
Echoing similar concerns, the Joint Committee Opposing Delimitation Exercise in Manipur (Kanglei-pak) (JCODEM) had earlier warned that conducting a census before updating the NRC could have serious implications for the state, which has long grappled with alleged influx of illegal immigrants.
In a recent statement, JCODEM pointed out that Manipur has relied on provisional and disputed census data from 2001, as the final report was never released due to alleged irregularities and bogus entries. The committee also cited unusually high decadal population growth rates recorded between 1991 and 2001, particularly in Chandel district, which registered a growth rate of 66.62 percent—significantly higher than the state average of 24.86 percent and the national average of 21.98 percent.
The developments have added to the ongoing debate over census, delimitation and population data in Manipur, with stakeholders calling for transparency and safeguards before proceeding with any major demographic exercise.