Manipur plans NRC seminar amid confusion over census sequence

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has said the state government is considering a seminar on updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), as demands grow across the state to carry out the exercise before the Census.

Responding to questions from the media, the Chief Minister said there is “confusion” among residents about the sequence of the two processes. “As per knowledge gathered by the government, the census should precede NRC,” he said, while noting that many groups in the state are calling for “NRC first, then census”.

To address these concerns, the government plans to organise a seminar inviting experts from Assam, where the NRC was last updated. Officials from Manipur and members of the state’s intellectual community are also expected to take part.

“The government has already engaged a lawyer from Assam who is expert in this field,” Singh said, adding that the seminar will help clarify technical and legal aspects of the process.

Referring to Assam’s experience, he said, “As people aware that Assam is the latest state NRC was conduct and that also according to directive of Supreme Court.” He added that the proposed discussions would lead to a “white paper” outlining how an NRC exercise could be carried out in Manipur and the steps involved.

The development comes amid sustained pressure from civil society groups, including the Just Fair Delimitation campaign, which has been pushing for NRC implementation before the Census. Despite these demands, the government has already begun preparations for the Census in the state.